Alex Frankel Poet Free verse

The Man At Work

I see the man at work 
More often than I see 
My wife. 

I've spoken more with 
Him than with any 
Other soul throughout 
My life. 

Five times fifty two 
Times thirty six 
Minus holiday and 
Sickness is the number 
Of times we've said 
Good morning and 
Good-bye. 

Fifty two times thirty 
Six, a cheery Friday 
Weekend wish and 
Mournful Monday 
Morning 'Hi'. 

I've seen him urinate 
A million times. 
Watched him sip 
His caffeinated drinks -
We fetch them for 
Each other - one day it's 
His turn then it's mine. 

A thousand nights 
We've journeyed to the 
Office pub for office 
Drinks.  He used to 
Bore us with his, 
Business banter, ten 
Years on resorts to 
Forty winks. 

For several years 
We car-shared, passed 
The sleepy mornings 
Cursing traffic, health 
And weather.  Then we 
Lost our taste for words 
And found commutes 
In silence better. 

And every day I loathed 
Him more and longed 
To tell him so and would 
Have done it but for fear 
Of his humiliation. 

So I struck a balance. 
Kept my distance. 
Ignored his weekend 
Invitations but smiled 
And nodded at his 
Prattish conversations. 

Now we are retired. 
Yet still he phones 
And breathes the same 
Old routine jargon down 
The line; so we chatter 
And we pause and 
Reminisce about our 
Working office lives 
That buzzed a bit 
At times although they 
Gave no special 
Inspiration 
Or reward. 

He says I was the only person 
In the office who didn't drive 
Him round the bend. 

He's pleased we made 
It through, still friends.

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