SUPPLY CHAIN > POETRY

Every paid gig except that one I don’t tend to talk about at parties

By Erin Clark

Babysitter

         Lawn-mower

                   Cigarette butt picker-upper

                             Plumbers’ gopher

                                       Flower arranger

                                                 Children’s activity worker

Medical records clerk

         Car-washer

                   Apple-raker

                             Pizza-maker

                                       Pizza-deliverer

                                                 Comic book archivist

Pet-and-child chauffeur

         Freelance editor for a would-be pick-up-artist

                   Pizza-cook again

                             Hotel housekeeping laundry-worker

                                       Hotel receptionist & security guard

                                                 Camp counselor for summer camps

College tour guide

         Visit office assistant

                   Vacuumer of dormitory staircases

                             Social media officer for a Chinese fashion brand

                                       Waitress, again

                                                 Scrubber of toilets

General dogsbody

         Comms assistant

                   Waitstaff, this time

                             Pizza-whatever-er

                                       Editor, again

                                                 Landscaper, hauler of woodchips

Housesitter

         Dogsitter

                   Catsitter

                             Plantsitter

                                       Accompanist

                                                 Writer

Erin Clark is a queer American writer and clergywoman currently based in London, England. She grew up in the rust belt and until two years ago, has done more years in pizza-shop kitchens than in any other job. Erin’s current life is a combination of the TV shows Rev, Spaced, and The Office. Her poems, stories and essays have been published in journals and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Oxonian Review, the New Critique, Geez, Pilcrow & Dagger, The Hour and elsewhere. She is the author of the nonfiction Sacred Pavement (2021, That Guy’s House), and can be found online at emclark.co or on Twitter @e_m_clark.

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