April (15th)
April (15th)
For some, it’s formulaic rain;
for others, form-on-form-filled pain–
Ten-forties and ten-forty-ones–
fortified with deduct-ions.
Capital gains, if you are lucky–
“Carried interest,” if high-muck-mucky—
Statements, check stubs and receipts
never saved up nice and neat–
accounting hocus-pocuses
crowding out mere crocuses.
Oh, the Ides that harried Julius C.
pale before these Ides’ ‘Line b’.
******************’
Here’s a silly one for Mama Zen’s prompt on With Real Toads to write of April in 66 words or less. I think mine makes it if some hyphenated words are counted as one!
Process notes–April 15th is U.S. tax return due date. Ten-forty–1040–is the standard U.S. income tax return, a 1041 is a trust or estate income tax return. Capital gains are taxed at lower rates than ordinary income, the “carried interest” rules allow people who work in the investment area, like hedge fund dealers, to be taxed on their standard income at capital gains rates. (These rules are why, for example, Mitt Romney’s operative income tax rate was 13-14%.) The Ides of a month are its mid-point– a low point in March for Julius Caesar.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, Julius C didn't even have an idea, manicddaily, Render unto Caesar poem, taxday poem, the Ides of April
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ManicDDaily 
April 10, 2014 at 7:28 am
Done
Gone
Phew
Whew!
April 10, 2014 at 7:31 am
Ha! Good for you! And a good poem too.
>
April 10, 2014 at 12:08 pm
I meant, your little poem!
April 10, 2014 at 9:01 am
taxing month… 😦
April 10, 2014 at 10:23 am
This is hilarious, k. Having had a bit of muddle with our normally mindlessly simple taxes this year, I relate completely. The language in some of the more esoteric forms is written by Martians for Martians, not mere earthbound mortals. I especially love the last four lines, which are genius. No worries about being serious–I am finding myself extremely frustrated with most of what I’m writing now–the mot juste seems constantly to be eluding me–but we blunder on–we are a third of the way through, anyway.
April 10, 2014 at 10:39 am
This cracked me up! Around here, it’s all tax and no return.
April 10, 2014 at 11:27 am
Life for the impoverished is much easier tax-wise, hee hee. One benefit, at least!
April 10, 2014 at 12:57 pm
Such a clever response, Karin. Your rhyme adds an element of fun to an un-funny task.
April 10, 2014 at 1:01 pm
Hope you are feeling better. (And thanks.) K.
April 10, 2014 at 6:09 pm
ugh. i still have to do my taxes. 5 days….
killing me….
April 11, 2014 at 11:37 pm
…and totally fair, Mitt Romeny got slammed by the media – Sigh – if only he was our President today – I am probably the only Toad croaking this tune 🙂 I adore this ode to taxes – even though I hate the way America taxes – don’t get me started. ;P
Very cute, and light considering the topic!
April 12, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Ha–well, I disagree about the carried interest rules, frankly, but I thank you very much for your candor and your sweetness and your comment! K.
April 12, 2014 at 10:03 am
brilliant fun. sharp witty rhyme and a perfect slice of April. I enjoyed this very much!
April 13, 2014 at 11:25 pm
carried interest. what a (expletive string deleted). ~