not today

the tax collector's wife had begged the vicious man to

lie down and ease his body;

to stop crunching numbers and pounding on doors first thing,

before death's claim could stake him.

"not today," laughed the tax collector, "i'll sleep when death arrives, not a moment sooner."

so she left him to calculate liens, millages, and ad valorems

and didn't bother him further.

the tax collector's son had tried day after fruitless day

to get his father to notice him;

every effort was to win a small morsel of praise; the boy only wanted to play with "papa."

but the tax collector's stern reply was always the same:

"not today; there's work to be done. these people won't tax themselves. "

the young lad would cry the fattest, loudest tears

until his mother found and soothed him.

the tax collector was allowed to see three more sunsets

before the angel he denied decided to collect.

his time was due, and to no one's surprise, the tax collector was anything but gracious.

he pleaded for his life, offering to trade one of his family in his stead.

when that didn't work, he continued to beg, "please, just give me one more chance?"

death declined,

"not today," came her gentle echo.