Poetry: "No Layoffs"

No Layoffs

Carly Davis, Class of 2023

Oh god [stop] oh god

Kyrie eleison/cristae eleison

Me as well, I want--

The atoms in my body

The air through my hands

Keep moving faster [stop] faster

She, she, she, she, she

[stop] Slide back the bar

Replace the ink strip

(This machine kills words)

And when I clock out

All’s left at the tabernacle

Where two carbon paper altar boys

Oh god [stop] oh god

I lock myself in that small, golden box