Love of Work

1970

The kid is 15

He has a Social Security card now

He was hired by his grandfather

To sweep and stamp literature and neaten shelves

For a dollar sixty an hour

And he goes to lunch with the warehouse guys

And the waitress has false eyelashes

Thick and bristly as the pushbroom he uses

And thrills him by telling him he has

“A dry sense of humor”

..

1997

The man is 42

And he has been a warehouse man a registrar a busboy a delivery driver a receiving clerk a warehouse supervisor an office guy an administrative vice president a sports marketing office administrator a graphics designer a help desk tech

Now he makes spreadsheets for managers of a healthcare system whose responsibility is to track and improve revenue streams

He has a badge that gets him into the building any time he wants to work

He is on salary and with the hours he puts in sometimes that seems to amount to minimum wage

But the insurance is primo and he goes to staff meetings

And he edits and publishes the in-house newsletter

And payday is a thrill

..

2026

Alarm

Stagger to bathroom sink

Wash hands take pills floss&brush shave shower towel dry

Underwear undershirt

Put coffee in filter fill reservoir with water close lid flip switch

Socks uniform pants belt uniform shirt cut’resistant gloves in left back pocket wallet keys money in left front pocket FitBit and smartphone in right front pocket pop-machine money in right rear pocket

Slip-resistant shoes

Pen in left front pocket

Coffee Wordle Bogggle Words With Friends

Rinse cup exit apt lock door unlock car get in seatbelt ignition lights KJZZ back out carefully roll slowly through speed bumps to gate left to 32nd left to Thomas right to 16th St left to Grant to parking lot

Lock car pocket keys pull out wallet activate door activate other door

Drink water in the break room gabble with friends line up at the time clock clock in

At work at peace

In love