Temping Tonight Or Is It On Tuesday, A.M.

that you had adventures maybe you should keep to yourself
they'll never believe they happened to you
why her, and not me (or him, as the case may be)

the mousy one, the one who just showed up for the day
while so and so's been laid up our fave
who's been here for a thousand years and

knows her stuff, not this newbie.

and then the whispering burns your ears
while they're all on break together or
dining at the Ritz while you're at the switchboard

on the fritz

praying, God, please dont let them call
don't leave me in this pit and they're
not talking about the weather that's for sure

or trading tips on nail polish, recent hues, oh no,

but for how much longer are...?
they're going to have to endure
your presence here, you bumpkin.

you take your lumps of sugar
and depart from the little cart
in the hall with the leftover Danish

to the park across the street, thank God's it's there
not like those industrial parks in the middle of nowhere=
with its pink trees, cracked fountain, non essential squirrels.

mustard, please you say at the hotdog stand

and wish you could fake the flu
or be let off at 2 due to a small fire or something.
a summer blizzard.

but you're a new hire if you get that far
and it looks like

you're always going to be
that dreaded thing called temporary.
and yet, in light of Eternity you smile and think

when it comes down to it
we're pretty much all temporary.

mary angela douglas 4 april 2016