Tag: work

being the beta man

A poem.

when i’m on the clock,

i’ll talk back to a manager
no problem,
if i think it’ll get me anywhere

or not in trouble
or teased by female staff


but i won’t tell the guy
sitting in my reserved seat at the
movie theatre to
move over
please.

some words are too much trouble
for too little reward,
save my father and i getting
what we paid for.

he won’t say anything either.

//wd 12.20.2025

Original photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com.

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thank you, Cardinal Richelieu

to whom we owe our fabulous screws

A poem.

the smitten
are only going to give you
as much grace as they can.
nothing waits forever


unless you work across from them

often turning one-hundred-and-eighty-degrees
in their direction
not for them –
it’s just part of your job description;


accidentally break
at the same time as them,
back-and-forth, braiding one another between
the sink and the toaster oven.

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shellfish

A poem.

what do you mean i don’t come on anyone’s authority?
you Sir catechize in impossibilities!
a list of people who know me,
systematically,
who would speak efficaciously
re: me?
preposterousity!
while alternately, you could accept me at the length of my extended goatee.

∼ lengthy exhale ∼
but if we must to win your trust,
then let us descend into the chancery,
unpedantically –

mind the leads,

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katherine with a k

A micro-story.

What time is it? Did you even set the alarm? Why do I have to wake up so early? Why can’t I wake up earlier than this instead of rolling around for an hour? Why can’t my shifts start when I’m actually awake? Why can’t I turn off my alarm? Why won’t it shut up? Why won’t my husband get up when I do? Why doesn’t he get my coffee ready like he used to? What’s wrong with me? Why do I stay with him? Wouldn’t I be happier alone? Or living with my daughter and her babies? Why can’t I take the initiative and retire? Why won’t this fucking coffee maker work properly? Did I put the water in the right place? Is it plugged in? Why does it smell like something is burning? Should I look under the lid? Why is there smoke? Why did I set it and not add water first? Why am I blaming myself? Why isn’t it his problem? Why is he so stupid? Why does this needle hurt so much? Why is my blood sugar so high? How much stress can one woman take?

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