I demand a refund.

[hummingwolf]

The money that I spent
on medicines that made me ill,
on doctors who would not care:
I want it back.

The energy that I wasted
to be a brand-new person,
to gain a better life:
I demand it back.

You cannot give it back, you say?
What, you gave it to someone else?
Your excuses are unacceptable to me.
You, not I, left the bargain unfulfilled.

The money you can take
from the doctor with the gold-plated Cadillac
(you know the one).
He will not miss it.

The energy you can take
from the couple who love their petty bickering
and their television.
They will not care.

No more excuses, I say.
I demand a refund.
You, not I, have broken the compact.
You, not I, should be the one to pay.

So the faith that I wasted
on the promise that I can have whatever I want
if only I work hard and believe:
I want it back.

And the time that I spent
doing what I was told
and not being who I am:
I demand it back.

But the love that I gave
to those who could not give
a damn in return:
Let it rest with them still--

That one thing
I gave freely.