Payday whispers sweet nothings

Payday whispers sweet nothings,

I glance at the numbers, almost false praise—

a sigh escaping as I remember

what it won’t cover.

Rent looming dark, a shadow in the hall,

a crumpled receipt tells tales of little pleasures

that quickly fade in the afterglow

of what’s not to come.

The weight of bills pressed

like stones on my chest,

yet my heart beats heavy,

hoping for more,

a little slice of comfort

in a world so demanding,

but this paycheck barely holds

the dreams I thought I’d had.