february '01

lizards to tear apart

mami's time away was never discussed, then or now. when she returned to us, five weeks later, she was thinner and darker and her hands were heavy with calluses. she looked younger, like the girl who had arrived in santo domingo fifteen years before, burning to be married. her friends came and sat and talked and when papi's name was mentioned her eyes dimmed and when his name left, the darkness of her ojos returned and she would laugh, a small personal thunder that cleared the air.

she didn't treat me badly on her return but we were no longer as close; she did not call me her Prieto or bring me chocolates from her work. that seemed to suit her fine. and i was young enough to grow out of her rejection. i still had baseball and my brother. i still had trees to climb and lizards to tear apart.

-junot díaz, drown

courtesy of my smart colleague at lemonyellow.com:

company offsite meeting i
i'm slouching in my seat,
i'm sliding toward the floor.
more proactive values,
and further corporate lore.
my eyes are rolling back,
my neck is getting sore.
more "can-do" solutions,
dripping verbal gore.
my lids are dropping gently,
i'm glancing toward the door.
more higher level action...
just pay me something more.

company offsite meeting ii
i hoped for coffee,
but didn't expect it.
in the new, new economy,
they just don't provide shit.
i dug out a pen
and scrounged for receipts.
grumbling with hunger,
i'm mourning the eats.
i thought that i'd sketch
or at least write a story
but faced with the brand,
was struck blind by its glory.
my ears are still perked
for word on my job
is every new clown
in this office named bob?
when they rolled out the structure
i got ready to scoot.
back at the office
there's plenty to loot.

posted February 01, 2001 in crap, print