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Friday, February 10, 2012

Poetry Friday -- It's Not Easy Being Me


SELF EMPLOYED
by David Ignatow


For Harvey Shapiro

I stand and listen, head bowed,
to my inner complaint.
Persons passing by think
I am searching for a lost coin.
You're fired, I yell inside
after an especially bad episode.
I'm letting you go without notice
or terminal pay. You just lost
another chance to make good.
But then I watch myself standing at the exit,
depressed and about to leave,
and wave myself back in wearily,
for who else could I get in my place
to do the job in dark, airless conditions?





No photo, no commentary, no connections. Just the hope that you, too, gave a little snort of laughter at the end, and made the same promise to treat your self a little nicer today.

Laura Purdie Salas has the roundup today at Writing the World for Kids.

8 comments:

  1. I am so right there with you friend! Thanks for reminding me to laugh!

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  2. We are the hardest on ourselves and yes I did chuckle. Today should be a nicer day and for you too. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. He gets it just right, doesn't he? So I could be speaking of the man in the poem or the poet. I wonder if with a little bending that some adolescents would like this, & connect those dark, airless conditions with school? Thanks, Mary Lee.

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  4. Enjoyed this, Mary Lee. I could totally see adolescents "getting" it.

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  5. That's right--no one else could do the job that I do, the way I do it. Same for you. Meanwhile, we ought to do something about the dark, airless conditions. : )

    Thanks!
    I'll check out the March Madness.

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  6. So true! The ending did make me smile. Don't feel so bad now. Thanks :).

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  7. Ha! Match this up with Jama's offering today and someone between Jama and you who did a Wendell Barry poem and encourages people to do something that doesn't compute every day. These three poems make me feel like I need to remember to give myself 5 minutes a day something crazy and impractical and tell myself occasionally that I do stuff. Sometimes good stuff. Very occasionally even important stuff. Mostly I've been too busy just doing stuff to follow the directions of any of these three poems!

    Thanks, Mary Lee!

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  8. Boy, after a day like today, I need a reminder to be nicer to myself! Thanks for the chuckle!

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