Thermostat

I wore my heavy parka to the sink

And used a butter knife to cut the seal.

I haven't turned the dial, I didn't think

The cost could be this much. It isn't real.

Three digits for the heat I didn't use,

While sitting on the rug to keep my toes

From turning blue. I’m tired of the news,

And how the number on the paper grows.

The envelope is resting on the grate,

A jagged mouth that’s sitting on the cold.

I’m paying for the air, and for the wait,

And for the fact that everything is old.