The Taxman cometh.

Through the smokey darkness and tedrils of confusion like a rider on a storm fueled by the seven deadly sins, wielding a luminous, white-silver blade of death and taxes. He rides you down, cleaves your cash flow and erases your memory. He’s el diablo incarnate and he has the power to silence and break you.

Upon his midnight mount–a flaming maned, nightmare beast risen from the ashes of audits past–he rides in stealth and patience until the time comes when–on the fifteenth day of the fifth month–he obliterates his prey. The dark as a moonless night monstrosity on which he rides carries his charge from unsuspecting, middle class drone to blue collar slave to flocking sheep, charging and blindsiding his masters quarry.

From on high the creature’s master soars to the ground–blade in hand–crooked, sinister grin upon his chipped, dirt and blood stained skull. His aim clear and true, a wallet–your wallet–lay decimated at your feet as the dust settles in his retreating wake…

And so the Taxman leaveth, until next year.

So yeah, I got my taxes finished, and due to ignorance I now owe to both federal and state tax agencies $XXXX.XX, which could have been avoided had I known that self employed individuals should pay a quarterly tax, which I have now begun setting aside for this year. Live and learn. But, I’m still bitter.