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The Standard Annual Raise

Is my life worth:

A financier at my favorite coffee shop,

A single gallon of gas in some parts of the country,

A carton of a dozen brown eggs,

A jug of 2% milk?

A tall cup of black coffee from around the corner,

Three bags of chips from the campus vending machine,

A combination meal from the burger joint nearby,

Approximately five cigarettes based on unit price?


A new SIM card for any cell phone,

A bottle of lime flavored mineral water,

A college-ruled, single subject spiral notebook,

Exactly two Pilot G-2 pens?


Three full days of weeping on and off,

The difference between eating and not eating,

Paying rent and not paying rent,

Being three dollars ahead of my landlord?

My entire sense of self-worth,

Being the pride of the family,

Regretting all my decisions,

Moving back home with my head bowed?

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