The credit card anchors are pulling us down; wrecking America's dream. Their charge-it schemes come with hooks too deep to fathom. They dip both ends of the stick, skimming the sales with nets the fish cannot slip; then at the swipe of your card they reel out their dough, riding your line on the rate you agreed to, the total you owe.

Horrific stories abound. You pay your bills online on time. Build excellent credit. Then one night your laptop freezes. By a tock of the clock, you're late. Your interest rate quad rubles, their fine print jump in a foot note. Text clogs your cell, pay up chump.

Yet credit card folk appear angelic, necks to pay-check advancers who prey on the broke. The payday people put fifteen bucks on a hundred, their max two-weeks flat, and grinningly tell you, "That's 391.07 percent per annum."

The credit card giants and check advance dealers have something in common: The same filthy hands. Price fixers violate law. But their scams for scramming money are apparently legal, their shades, miniscule.

We need a public credit card option: The Uncle Sam Shazam!

The statute will read, regardless of your credit, an income guarantees your Shazam line comes with Shazam agreement: Uncle Sam Protection, the interest fair, plainly written clear, a teensy rate with excellent credit, higher for chronic late payers, your monies compounded quarterly.

The shops accepting Shazam can expect livable fees for all their transactions. You make the call, the citizen who flashes glam of Shazam, guaranteed extension.

Uncle Sam Shazam is a boon for Congress, too. Suggesting, "Public Option," burns their pockets through; halls of the Congress crowed by lobbyists, ducats by the bucket full. On Capitol Hill, lobbyists and prostitutes go far, share the same car. All aboard pay the fare, get their due.

Senator Max Baucus snatched three million pesos from the health care execs. Their single payer plan insures every body single, pesos them, unless you get sick. Then you don't have a prayer.

Lobbyists for entrenched purveyors will exercise their protection racket, rising to the call, stuffing campaign pockets up and down the hall, thousands for their elections, quid from the pros for Members of Congress all, to snub the Shazam, refuse to hold hearings, issue tabled, snubbing Nobel Prize winners on whether or not to consider saving us one trillion bucks a quarter.

Oh! That Shazam Card interest payment? That's in the statute. Interest goes to pay vigorish due on our national debt! I explained this idea to my banker: The public option for private creditor debt. The manager exclaimed, "We'll be back in the black."

Unless we draw down our world wide debt we will soon be secondary rated, our vigorous dollar slashed! That's the debtor etch on the window; why worldly executives self-inflict with repugnant piles of money, G'zillion dollar bonuses that dwarf their pay. They sense devaluation is coming our way, trillions of deboned empty dollars ushering steep de'nouement, their inflation plan, stash while you can.

How long after 2012 before one stick of Wrigleys will chew up a dollar? When I was a kid five sticks cost a nickel. One dollar covered an emergency trip to Doctor Greunfeld's, a block away. A chunk of coal was stuck in my eye. Those days are gone. My eye is OK.

When our economy slumps in a funk, instead of braying for the Federal Reserve to adjust money cost, we can bump the Shazams of all our working folk 500 bucks, interest and payments not for six months. When the bottom is up, our economy pumps; their Fed economy, anomaly.

What about dead beat non-payers? Oh? What about that income tax refund?

Besides the vig from our national debt, Shazam's net, locked and boxed to square medicare, saving trillions, we have home land security snookered, re-spoken for by Great Sam Uncle Shazam.

The conspiracy crowd shouts I'm nationalizing private debt, Uncle Shazam will get in our lives deeper yet, find out to whom we owe, and for what. That's right! Grin and get bare with it, the great skinny dip, our ship of state buoyed by Shazam; our all purpose patriotic ticket.

The government taps your transaction information and sweeps every move. Times where you go. Sees what you do. Good. Shazam dissolves their queasy need to tap our phones en masse, listening to one maybe wannabe terrorist! Cells qualified for spot checks should belong to those who hide behind cash. With Shazam we regain our homeland security, the privacy of our home spoken thoughts, sanctified in our sanctuary.

You approach an ATM. Insert Shazam, punch in your pin, whisper magic word, greenback appears. (Shazam magic word.)

Dear reader,
What follows are the same words in the same order, a poem. Whether prose or poem whichever you prefer, this is High Octane!

The credit card anchors
Are pulling us down,
Wrecking America's dream.
Their charge-it schemes
Come with hooks
Too deep to fathom.
They dip both ends
Of the stick, skimming
The sales with nets
The fish cannot slip; then
At the swipe of a card
They reel out their dough,
Riding your line
On the rate you agreed to,
The total you owe.

Horrific stories abound.
You pay your bills online
On time. Build excellent
Credit. Then one night,
Your lap top freezes. By
A tock of the clock, You're
Late. Your interest rate
Quad rubles, their fine print
Jump in a foot note. Text
clogs your cell, pay up chump.

Yet credit card folk
Appear angelic, necks to
Pay-check advancers
Who prey on the broke.
The payday people put
Fifteen bucks on a hundred,
Their max two-weeks flat,
And grinningly tell you,
"391.07 per cent per annum."

The credit card giants
And check advance dealers
Have something in common:
The same filthy hands.
Price fixers violate law.
But their scams for scramming
money are apparently
legal, their shades, miniscule.

We need a public credit card
option: The Uncle Sam Shazam!

The statute will read,
Regardless of your credit,
An income guarantees
Your Shazam line comes
With Shazam agreement:
Uncle Sam Protection
The Interest fair, plainly
Written clear, a teensy rate
With excellent credit,
Higher for chronic
Late payers, your monies
Compounded quarterly.

The shops accepting Shazam
can expect livable fees
For all their transactions.
You make the call,
The citizen who flashes
Glam of Shazam,
Guaranteed extension.

Uncle Sam's Shazam
Is a boon for Congress, too.
Suggesting, "Public
Option," burns their pockets
Through; halls of the Congress
Crowed by lobbyists,
Ducats By the bucket full.
On Capitol Hill, lobbyists
And prostitutes go far, share
The same car. All aboard
Pay the fare, get their due.

Senator Max Baucus snatched
Three million pesos
From the health care folks.
Their single payer plan
Insures every body single,
Pesos them,
Unless you get sick.
Then you don't have a prayer.

Lobbyists for entrenched
Purveyors will exercise
Their protection racket,
Rising to the call,
Stuffing campaign pockets
Up and down the hall,
Thousands for their elections,
Quid from the pros for
Members of Congress all
To snub the Shazam,
Refuse to hold hearings,
Issue tabled, snubbing
Nobel Prize winners
On whether or not 
To consider saving us
One trillion bucks a quarter.

Oh! That Shazam Card
interest payment?
That's in the statute.
Interest goes to
Pay vigorish due on
Our national debt!
I explained this idea
To my banker:
The public option for
Private creditor debt.
The manager exclaimed,
"We'll be back in the black."

Unless we draw down
Our world wide debt
We will soon be
Secondary rated, our
Vigorous dollar slashed!
That's the debtor
Etch on the window;
Why worldly executives
Self inflict with
Repugnant piles of money,
G'zillion dollar bonuses
That dwarf their pay.
They sense devaluation
Is coming our way,
Trillions of deboned empty
Dollars ushering steep
De'nouement, Their inflation
plan, stash while you can.

How long after 2012
before one stick of
Wrigleys will
chew up a dollar?
When I was a kid
Five sticks cost a nickel.
One dollar covered
An emergency trip to
Doctor Gruenfeld's,
A block away.
A chunk of coal was
Stuck in my eye.
Those days are gone.
My eye is OK.

When our economy
Slumps in a funk,
Instead of braying
For the Federal Reserve
To adjust money cost,
We can bump the Shazams
Of all our working folk
500 bucks, interest and
Payments not for six months.
When the Bottom is up,
Our economy pumps;
Their Fed economy, anomaly.

What about dead beat
Non-payers? Oh?
What about that
income tax refund?

Besides the vig from
our national debt,
Shazams' net,
Locked and Boxed to
Square medicare, saving
Trillions, we have home
Land security snookered,
Re-spoken for by
Great Sam Uncle Shazam.

The conspiracy crowd shouts
I'm nationalizing private debt,
Uncle Shazam will get in
Our lives deeper yet, find
Out to whom we owe,
And for what. That's right!
Grin and get bare with it
The great skinny dip, our
Country buoyed by Shazam;
All purpose patriotic ticket.

The government taps
Your transaction information
And sweeps every move.
Times where you go.
Sees what you do. Good.
Shazam dissolves their
Queasy need to
Tap our phones en masse,
Listening to one maybe
Wannabe terrorist!
Cells qualified for spot
Checks should belong to
Those who hide behind cash.
With Shazam we regain
Our homeland security,
The privacy of our
Home spoken thoughts,
Sanctified in our sanctuary.

You approach an ATM.
Insert Shazam, Punch
in your pin, Whisper magic
Word, greenback appears.
(Shazam magic word.)

Michael Stephen Levinson

('’)