Before me
Looking through
A double set of doors
Of the local Service Ontario
Strip mall outlet.
Long serpentine
Line-up has formed
Awaiting the acquaintance
And renewal
Of health cards driver licences
And other official documents
From the province of Ontario.
Shudders
Runs through my body
Noticing the banking hours
Of Monday to Friday:
9am to 5pm.
For myself
I see
Early warning signs
Of severe anxiety triggers
With the possibility
Of a full blown panic attack.
Standing on
The sidewalk
Outside of the doors.
Premier Ford
Talks about Ontario
Being open for business.
Seeing nothing
That backs up
His campaign rhetoric.
Rather
A system stretched
To it limits.
Where profits
(Read taxes and user fees)
Are placed ahead
Of the consumers’ need
(I.E: citizens of this province)
In paying down
The provincial debt.
Forcing people
To decide
Whether or not
To lose working hours
Or take vacation time.
(If they have a job
Or self-employed.)
Especially
When they need
A driver’s licence
For work.
Or the health card
Covering their medication cost
By the Ontario Drug Program
For welfare recipients
(Ontario Works and ODSP1).
I turn away
To doing start
Another stressful activity.
Grocery shopping.
Knowing
I’ll be back
At a later time
For my provincial id card.
Just not today.
1 ODSP: Ontario Disability Support Program
Therisa © 2019
Author’s note: Yesterday, April 30, 2019, is the last banking day for the month, along with, being the date that all direct deposit funds are placed into the bank accounts, of those ODSP recipients, who have signed up for this. As for today, I slept in, until 10:30 am, which means, I was too late, given the Service Ontario offices were already open for business. Tomorrow, maybe.
And yes, I am prepared to walk away, if I feel my anxiety levels are getting too high, from the Service Ontario line-up. Even if, this means that I’m next to be serviced, by the contracted out staff.
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