The Job

I wrote it down. The city, the company,

the title — and then please, if it's okay,

please, which is an embarrassing

thing to find in a notebook, the way

wanting something that specific looks

in your own handwriting. March, the call.

I said yes the same day. You helped with the books

and boxes — your name in marker on them all,

neat block letters. Four hundred miles.

The boxes made it. The months after

were we'll see and let's just and meanwhile files

of it's only for a while. The laughter

got quieter. The slowly, then complete.

The job is fine. Someone tonight

asked how I like it there — so neat,

the question — and I said great, all right,

actually, yeah. Took a drink.

Your name is probably still on some of those boxes.

I don't know what I think.