Jobless In America
After I lost my job
I sat
In my apartment
For days
With the windows closed
Staring at the walls
Pretending
I had someplace to go.
I was always told
You’re lucky
To have a job
But looking back
On yesterday
It was always
Just another day of
Showing more initiative
Being more ambitious
Trying harder.
It began
When a stranger sat at my desk
Wanted to know what my job was
Rumors flew around our village of cubicles
Layoffs were imminent
Older employees shook their heads in fear
And we began looking for jobs.
Called to a group meeting
A heavy set man
Stood in the middle of the space
Like a circus ringleader
Announcing
That it was our last day.
We were crushed
The improbable had happened
Our jobs had just vanished
Into thin air.
Leaving the office
Familiar people and places
Looked strange and cold
Crowds, hurrying to be somewhere, passed me by
And I never felt so alone.
The other day
I ran into someone
Who sat not far from me
We never spoke that much
She asked me how I was
And we talked
Both out of work
Connecting for the first time.
After we parted
I caught the reflection
Of a stranger
In the window of an empty store
It was not my face,
Drawn and haggard,
But the eyes
That caught my attention
Hesitant and grey
They still held hope.
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