Years ago, I wrote a little book called “Moving Up the Ladder” a few of you might remember. It was a humorous novella touting advice from an unsuccessful observer. It had a glossary of several hundred office buzz words which I’d collected over the years. I might revisit that one and add to the story … Working in an office again has been a fascinating experience. I find material in the most unusual places. So, without further ado …
An ode to a mailroom
I worked in you for a few months during my senior year of high school
You with you organized stacks of cubbies and shelves and all those machines
Me with my frizzy hair and button-up blouse and baggy slacks
You had so much going on
Always buzzing with energy and commotion
Letters and memos and packages flooding in and out
You were the heartbeat of communication
Dispersing information like nobody’s business
And now
And now
I pass through you on the way to my desk
Your shelves are barren
The letters and memos and packages long gone
A faded poster about safety hangs on the wall that nobody reads
A black plastic caddy holds scissors and paper clips that nobody needs
Sometimes the copy machine erupts to life like one last heartbeat of a dying man
You were once so alive
Bursting with vitality and purpose
And now
And now
You’re one more thing we’ll put on a shelf along with the other relics of the past
To be talked about in maudlin reveries until those who remember you are no longer
Photo circa 1987
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