Father,

How much do tears cost?
How much is that drop of sweat,
sweated by hustling in the heat
or spent in anxiety?
How much is that moment
spent shifting and turning in bed?
How much do I spend every time
I think of happiness?
What does the tag on a smile say?
How much is a sigh?

How much does it cost to hug?
How much does it cost to forget counting?
How much will it cost to live a life?
A real life.
More than the cost of a calculator?
More than our bank balance?

We are tearing each other over
yellow perforated bills.
We are eating our teeth and diluting our milk.
We are chocking our lungs for it might cost to breathe.

Our hands
groping for enough,
spill all that there can be-
comfort, simplicity and peace.
All we gather is misery.