the edges of myself

We are all the greatest– each

of us the BEST at this job

we never applied for– and from

which we will never be fired–

the benefits being intangible and

showing themselves in the most

unlikely moment– an unprompted

thank you or please– a concern born from

a devotion that is normally tossed

under the bed with the dirty socks

and missing game pieces.

 

None of us carefully perused the

job description– and if we read it at all,

there were pieces that we managed

to skip entirely.  We didn’t realize that

the time clock is perpetually broken– and

we are most definitely not unionized.

fifteen minute breaks are laughable

and we might get the crusts and

sloppy seconds for lunch–  (but no break)

if we’re lucky.

 

Yet somehow we stay.  Unquestioning.

Without pay– constantly working overtime,

allowing ourselves to be yanked around

by an iron-fisted grip on our hearts.

Because there is nothing greater than

being the BEST at the job which is

by far the hardest, cruelest, most

demanding and perpetually rewarding

task we will ever encounter in our lives.