he works in a factory
just like his father and his father’s father did.
he went to college, got a degree in English Lit,
couldn’t find a decent paying, prestigious job.
makes more operating a whining machine
that punches holes in metal incessantly.
dreams of becoming a famous writer,
writes books at night.
believes he has it in him to write a bestseller
that will be made into a blockbuster movie.
his books keep getting rejected by publishers
one editor wrote, “don’t quit your day job.”
he inhales the foul-smelling factory air,
suppresses the feelings of failure
and dreams of another life.
but feels trapped in the factory,
like his father and his father’s father did.
maybe factory work in his blood
and he can’t get it out.
bob boyd
