A typical assignment involves calibrating pizzazz,

buttering cubicles, lurking in corners as necessary,

collating colors, watering a fax,

deepening deadlines. Our last temp saw

eggshells in odd places, alphabetized a TV,

found birdsong, odd words in the typewriter: adieu,

galactopote, glaab, transcendent.

Hardly appropriate for the office, yet I was conscious,

in some way, of encouraging her.

Just yesterday, in the filing cabinet, I found packets of BBQ,

kale leaves, broken abasement. I couldn’t help

limiting her hours. She put our timesheets on the stereo.

Management was displeased: You can

not file this album

on work time. I apologized for the small

payments, but found the secret attack

quietly thrilling. She typed the word aflaj

randomly (it means split into parts); also fungi.

Sorted snakebites on a graph,

tore it up, mailed a fire. We were agog.

Understanding we would need replacement staff

very soon, we made a new hire.

We hired you. Now you understand

exactly why we need you. No more cavalier havoc.

You must be sensible, take a stab.

Zoom meeting starting now, enter this data.