POEM WRITTEN THE NIGHT BEFORE A NEW JOB

J. Archer Avary

‘it feels good to live and work again’
says the man, before he starts
the job he hopes to keep
for the duration of his working life
‘this time,’ he says, ‘it just feels right’

let us examine the link
between a kick in the head
and a reset in one’s outlook towards
life’s luxury items
like an egg fried in butter or
mindless afternoons, tossed by storms
and strong ale
sunshine in a beer garden

‘natural fodder for the poetry of life’
says the man, as he ponders work
what it means to trade his time for money
‘it feels so good to contribute to society again’
says the man, and it sounds
like what he’s really trying to do
is convince himself

J. Archer Avary (he/him) was born in Albuquerque. He doesn’t put ketchup on his own hot dog, but believes recreational ketchup use should be decriminalized. His debut novella The Dog Sitter is available to read at The Daily Drunk. Twitter: @j_archer_avary