I bought the wrong winning ticket,

easy mistake to make,

and yet the council

won’t take the wrong money

to pay off my bills,

the slave owners of credit cards

insist I still owe them

despite mistakenly wanting to settle

my debt and the milkman

is adamant that he still feels

obligated to inform me

that I should hand over

the spondoolicks for my

regular full cream top.

I wanted to shell out shrapnel

to the people that own my house

I felt I should at least reimburse

them for my bed,

and compensate for my education,

give them the time of day

if I could for all the tea I have drunk

whilst on inactive service

repay the Kings many shillings

then with the wrong winning ticket

I should be feel glad to assist;

my wrong winning ticket,

surely six numbers they would except.

Ian D. Hall 2017