the woman in the car behind me
she is an older woman
but seems well put together
she is touching up her make-up
fluffing her hair
she checks her watch
I wonder if she is late for
an appointment
an interview
a date
she uses her rear view mirror
as a final check on her make-up
she flips her hair once more
and adjusts her jacket
I silently wish her luck
what do you make of a day
that begins deciding if
you’re well enough to
return to work
you do
your ten years of working
is celebrated with the
head honchos and others
who have also endured
for a decade
you eat mediocre pizza
and must recount how
you came to work there
then share a favorite story
because you are who you are
your voice almost breaks in
recalling this past portion of
your life in some pithy story
it’s not that you’re terribly emotional
about this position, it’s that you want
to do a good job, even at this awkward
task, and the responsibility of it
almost overwhelms you
you finish
listen to other stories, collect
your crystal award, and return
to your desk, where you have
been invited to be a featured poet
at a new reading
you accept
you leave early to attend
to a yearly exam, the walk
down the corridor seems
so long, you feel grateful
you only have to come here
once a year
you undress
you are glad that the
technician is nice, encouraging
(again with the need to
be praised for a good job!)
but it always works, you
feel like you nailed
the way you held your arm
so she could press your flesh
flat to check for abnormalities
you dress
an hour to get home
your neighborhood alive
with baseball & sunshine
you walk
and now here you are
baseball outside your door
work open in the
next computer window
reality game shows
a click away
but first this poem
this snapshot
this recounting
of a day
lovely to sleep in
trying to knock out sickness
feeling okay now
Forgot to create
Something for today’s poem
Half-hearted haiku
showing off a bit
my fantastic downtown life
colleagues are impressed
uneven
last night, my chin gushed blood
due to an unfortunate launch
of the cat from my face
in sleep, an apology given
soothed a troubled mind
in the morning, as I brushed
my teeth, an unexpected
tilt
I tried to balance myself
tried to steady what I
didn’t understand
it turned my day upside down
from the start, brought a
foreboding I tried to manage
mostly successfully
as the workday wore on
I distracted myself from
fear, telling myself it was
in my head
but now as I prepare for bed again
I still feel like I’m trying to right
something
It was a good day. I won the NCAA pool at work (could there be a Google Home in my future?)
After work, I went to Jerome’s and bought a couch! Thanks for the dough to be able to get it, Mom & Dad! It will be delivered in Friday. I chose that day mostly because it would give me some time to think about it, haha.
When I got home, I changed quickly and went out for a walk. It was slightly chilly but the sun was still up & it felt good to get out & into the neighborhood. It’s supposed to rain later this week, so I’m glad I put off the relaxing time to pump up my heart rate a bit.
After my walk, I made a simple dinner of pasta in butter & garlic.
There is something to be said for these small joys.
