show me the money

i asked her to show me where the debt was
she pointed to a small number on a piece of white paper
"that is the debt" she said
"I work for that number, ever day it gets a bit smaller
but it will never go away"

i take the piece of paper from her hand
and tear in into pieces
"there it is gone away" I said
her face was twisted like a mask at first
but then she smiled at me and I could see she was free

a breeze blew across the tops of the highest trees in the forest
but there was no more sign
that anything had really changed
except that the bindings of a slave fell away
on that day, that bankruptcy day in May