Blink
for Mandred Hecht
the management
organized
the company
and that was splendid
enough chairs for all
a quick change
of clothes and scene
brings us
to
the
lawn
of the company
stretching out under our gaze
which itself
beer in hand
stops short of the horizon
(grazes)
everything
else
vanished
a certain rhythm (uncertain)
of the blood
directed
attention
to the tapping foot
was this happiness being witnessed
was this many weeks
did the people over there
look same as the people
over there (hmm) who were
they
were
they
salesmen could we brush
aside the tapping
that by now had given way
to winking
and that to sleeping
and then to tapping again
what was being
what was being covered up was it
a fabulous shoulder
gleaming was it an
exact (and exacting) self-image
suffering no
monkey business were they
happy did the countryside
bloom, did not subside
who were they were they
salesmen and given
fresh air
and sun who
were their wives were
they salesmen, too from here
they look
organized and
like good company
not
to overlook
the flowers and facts
what were they doing here had
they
been invited did
they receive
invitations with what grace
was it many weeks they "you
bet I am" emotion
reflected (a shoulder) whose
were they
sales
men (and women)
did they make rounds and (ooph)
how spiffy did
they look did they look up
as the management
passed
threading toward the logo-decorated dais
were they
former salesmen (and women) did
they look it what was
their
country
of origin was it organized who
did they think they were (or weren't)
how did they look
in the light of the
flowers of the facts
were they news the kidding aside
the beer flowed
the lawn rolled endlessly
in and out like a boat
a picture of waves was
a storm brewing when
vacations
came around were they still
to be
salesmen (and women) and retirement
what
about
retirement
but who could be retiring
under
the gentle hand of
unlimited beer and lawn
were those beer-colored
storm clouds rolling in
were
they
invited were
they salesmen (and women) where
did they come from would
they go
away
could they be covered
up why were they unresponsive
to good sense and why
were they gleaming
did this look like
a
good
place for rain
to retire in
would rain fall
without
invitation would it spoil
the company
what effect would it have
on
self-image
would the people
look
the
same
after the rain were they
salesmen (and women) why
were they gleaming did
the self-image include shoulders
were they inviting
were they cloud-like
were they salesmen (and women)
organized
to manage a quick change
was the self-image
good company
was
it
a salesman or a saleswoman
invited to
be
a manager
would they make the dais
what about the clouds
were there
enough
chairs
for all the managers
would they live
happy
in those chairs after
they were
managers would they
settle for chairs
Copyright Credit: Ted Greenwald, "Blink" from Common Sense. Copyright © 2016 by Ted Greenwald. Reprinted by permission of Wesleyan University Press.
Source: Common Sense (Wesleyan University Press, 2016)