Blue Collar

 

Blue Collar

 

 

 

punched in,  

 

late night shift

 

punched keys

 

spilled blood, spilled ink

 

a few fifteen-minute breaks

 

a few poems

 

lunch

 

ketchup smudged some words

 

my unsteady mind a few others

 

shift over

 

life's over

 

Paycheck

 

silver dollars for syllables

 

spent to post

 

on a site

 

routine reiterated.

 

 

erin-cilberto

6/24/2021

Reviews

[Crowley]

This is depressing...lol. That's why I think people are hesitant to go back to work after this pandemic. They got a feel for what life is about not having to drive to the office and sit in s****y meetings. I don't know what to think really. but this does make me think. Great work.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you for your kind review, Crowley,
j.

[keith]

i am not one for traditional blue collar employment ... never have been
but ... i did work 2nd shift operating 3 twisted wire machines that produced the business end of toilet brushes! thousand made each day ... it paid the rent & bought beer!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

my thoughts exactly...but love never paid the rent or bought beer for me...thank you, ABG,
j.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

I see you have the term blue collar there too
I love this poem it’s the epitamy of work day to pay check sweat blood tears

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you, Julie...I have to go punch the time clock, now. ha ha
j.

[Aldo kraas]

I enjoyed reading you poem
It is very well written

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Thank you, Aldo,
j.

[Aldo kraas]

You are very welcome
Please continue writing more poems

[Laura Kate]

This played out like a short film in my mind and I can feel the monotonous nature of this routine and the begrudging acceptance of the limitations it places on the protagonist - ketchup and unsteady minds getting in the way of a good write, squeezing passion into every spare minute one can find.
Ink and blood one and the same.
Shifts and life, one and the same.
.. having just read the below reviews and I'm enjoying reading this again with a completely different light!
Laura.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i appreciate any light placed on it...thank you, Laura.
j.

[Chris Shaw]

Yes, the routine of how the regulars check in to this poetry site and what we do with our time here. I laughed at ketchup smudged words. I have a vision of you now J, eating while composing :) Maybe a bacon sammich :) Same old routine, read poems, respond to reviews, post new poems. Over and over again.. Yes, the reward is having our work read and receiving a review. Now those reviews can be like gold dust at times. You know I never had to punch in at work. I managed to avoid that somehow.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I am so glad you avoided the punch clock, Chris.
I had jobs where that was a necessary evil----but at least I don't have to punch a time clock to write poetry, just some keys.
j.

[andrew mitchell]

Yes how we are all driven to clock on, write some writes, read a few other works and in between have a bite to eat. The pay check being a review. This is where this write took me. Reminds me of the Night Stalker when Darren McGavin I think, excuse spelling, jumps on his typewriter cigarette in the mouth typing away the new story to be told.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I loved that show, Night Stalker, yes, cigarette dangling....for me when I smoked, the cigarette would spend most of its time in the ashtray while I typed away....thank you.
j.

[andrew mitchell]

My favourite too J. Loved the music theme so stirring.