Two Jobs to No Jobs

When my biweekly claim drops into my account,
any moment now,
I’ll order a Reuben and tater tots, another beer.

I’ll eat it slow because I can.

Last year I had two jobs—

shoved burgers down my throat.
Destroyed home cooked
meals in under five minutes.

Now I have no jobs. Preferred status.

A man with nowhere to go.
With plenty of time to get there.

In January, when the clouds cling thick
and the night arrives a little later each day.

Richard Gegick hails from Trafford, PA. WPA Press published his first full-length poetry collection, Greasy Handshakes, in 2019. Richard’s poetry and fiction have appeared in 86 Logic, Chiron Review, Gulf Stream, and many other periodicals. A 16-year service industry veteran, Richard lives in Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood where he tends bar and freelances.