Just an ordinary day
Beginnng quietly with phantom reflection
Of what it still means to be here
On earth
Taking air
Accelerating into conversation among friends and strangers at a coffee bar
Deadly spiders in Australia
Alice Cooper’s Spider Show and love ballads
~ His influence on Michael Jackson’s Thriller
And last night’s Wailers show in Quebec City
Moved on to the new Spectrum offices
Lots of white blue and black office decor
Accented by lurid unnatural light
Staffed by a hum drum millennial
With barely one foot in this world
We stood near to one another
Two patrons dreading the ‘service’ to follow
She, 70-80ish
Me, 60-70ish
In the hushed silence of another business day
I returned the internet router and modem
From my just foreclosed upon home
While she shuffled through papers
“I suppose you will need to see the death certificate”
“Yes, in order to change the name on the accounts”
A new kind of hush was born while
Hum drum millennial left for the back room
Without a word or gesture
To scan the proof of no life
Needed to update records of the living
I reached and touched her arm
“I am so sorry”
“Thank you,” her voice trembling
As she placed her face between my beard and shoulder
Both hands around the back of my neck
Hum drum millennial returned from the back room
Scanned death work in hand
Office muzak undisturbed
Computer keys altering the reality
Of everything but the human
My kiosk companion grabbed my free arm as I moved to the door
My baston easing the way
“Take good care of yourself, man”
“You too, ma’am”
Our tears embracing
~ zjm
