THE CARD

When they release you from federal prison,

they hand you a Chase bank debit card.

Your name. A number. A balance.

That's it.

That is supposed to be your fresh start.

That is supposed to be the apology.

That card —

THE PHARAOH · [CARD NUMBER REDACTED] —

is the receipt.

The receipt for everything they took.

The years. The appeals. The silence.

The Per Curiam Affirmances.

The PCA's that buried constitutional violations

in three letters.

They handed me a Chase card

and thought that was enough.

It wasn't.

It never will be.