Balancing the Bills

I opened the envelope, heart racing with dread,

a slip of reality, my comfort now fled.

Numbers scrawl wildly, a warning of sorts,

a chill in the shadows of heat I’ve cut short.

So many nights spent in stubborn embrace,

wrapped in a blanket that barely held space.

I tear at the paper, its edges all rough,

but these numbers don't lie—oh, it’s bitter and tough.