I understand you perfectly. I am self-employed and I pay 327 euros a month of self-employed fee plus 80 euros from the accountant, plus 21 percent in taxes on every dollar I earn plus the premium friend fee, just to be able to collect what Medium pays without having problems with my country, and obviously I don't cover it nearly as much since two months ago.

In other words, it costs me almost 500 euros a month to keep posting here.

But you always have to keep hope, Michele. Because what matters is the reader. And excellence is not negotiable.

Your poems are excellent, my friend. Keep going and don't get discouraged.

(And look for other places to monetize, I'll do it :-)