The woman in the office
sittng there
working out
the time and motion
at the factory
and I stand
at the small hatchway
with my slip of paper.
She sees me
and comes over
to the hatch.
So how long
were you on the job?
she asks.
When last night?
I say.
She blushes slightly:
no I mean the job
in the factory,
she says,
eyeing me.
I show her
the piece of paper.
She looks at it:
you haven't put
the job title at the top
nor when you finished,
she says,
what have you
been doing?
When?
Just now
what job?
Drilling holes in poles
for camp beds,
I reply.
When did you finish?
she asks.
Just now,
I say.
Time,
I need the time from you,
she is annoyed.
Anytime is ok with me,
I say.
Time on the job,
she splutters.
I gaze at the wall clock:
5 minutes ago.
She is flustered:
when did you start?
she says.
A few months ago,
I reply.
NO THE JOB
YOU ARE ON NOW!
she bellows.
I gaze at her;
her eyes are large.
I gaze at the clock
on the wall:
45 minutes ago,
I say.
She gives me
the piece of paper:
next time
write the times,
she says.
Sure,
I say.
She walks back to her desk
and sits down.
I wander back
to my drilling machine
and Joyce gives me
the next job lot.
I write down the start time
and begin to drill
Getting the woman
in the office irate
gives me a thrill.
Feb 17, 2018
Feb 17, 2018 at 12:53 PM UTC
The woman in the office
sittng there
working out
the time and motion
at the factory
and I stand
at the small hatchway
with my slip of paper.
She sees me
and comes over
to the hatch.
So how long
were you on the job?
she asks.
When last night?
I say.
She blushes slightly:
no I mean the job
in the factory,
she says,
eyeing me.
I show her
the piece of paper.
She looks at it:
you haven't put
the job title at the top
nor when you finished,
she says,
what have you
been doing?
When?
Just now
what job?
Drilling holes in poles
for camp beds,
I reply.
When did you finish?
she asks.
Just now,
I say.
Time,
I need the time from you,
she is annoyed.
Anytime is ok with me,
I say.
Time on the job,
she splutters.
I gaze at the wall clock:
5 minutes ago.
She is flustered:
when did you start?
she says.
A few months ago,
I reply.
NO THE JOB
YOU ARE ON NOW!
she bellows.
I gaze at her;
her eyes are large.
I gaze at the clock
on the wall:
45 minutes ago,
I say.
She gives me
the piece of paper:
next time
write the times,
she says.
Sure,
I say.
She walks back to her desk
and sits down.
I wander back
to my drilling machine
and Joyce gives me
the next job lot.
I write down the start time
and begin to drill
Getting the woman
in the office irate
gives me a thrill.
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