Live and Learn
I lied when I applied for welfare,
rolling in on a stolen wheelchair.
My situation, all staff agreed,
was so obvious, they saw no need
for a background check; in fact
they made no effort to contact
the fictitious doctor I said I had,
not even jotting down on a pad
his name, phone and address,
an on-the-spot made up guess.
The papers I had to sign were many
and the name I used was phony.
And that was it. Imagine how surprised
I was when my first check arrived
a few days later. And it went like this
until someone at the welfare office –
an auditor no doubt, or a clerk
(a few brain cells above a jerk.)
Well, to make a long story short,
I quickly had my day in court;
found guilty and given a sentence
for lying, deceit, and fraudulence.
I’m serving time now, as they say.
Remarkably I get three meals a day,
free medical care, no lawyer’s fees,
and a host of other freebees.
Then, too, time to read and study
in a well equipped prison library
where on weekends I read about
our justice system, trying to figure out
the best way I can beat the system
without a glytch or problem
and graduate with a law degree
and a job guaranteed to keep me
off of welfare, provided I keep on
the mend and not return to prison –
unless arrested, convicted, and do time
again for another or worse crime.
Copyright © Maurice Rigoler | Year Posted 2022
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