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Wednesday, June 15, 2005

the heartbroken office supply guy

Poetry finds you when you need it most. For most people spotting poetry pretty much ended the last day of high school English class. They don't notice that songs on the radio, laughter of children, or the stories of our elderly parents are really poetry in disguise.

Some of us have to be hit over the head with poetry. Others are destined to send it out into the world never to know where it might land or how it effected the person it reached.

A few years ago I was opening a pack of plastic organizers for my boss. They were shipped directly from the plastic organizer company and were sealed in plastic wrap.

As I removed the top organizer I noticed a thin cardboard sheet in the box. It caught my attention because it was covered in handwriting.

This was exciting! So often I forget that a real person makes the things I buy. I imagine the plastic organizer flipping off the conveyor belt and into the box just before the cardboard separator drops in. Then the box is whisked down the belt to the spot that the box folder machine folds the box. But no, at Acme plastic organizer Inc real live people box the plastic organizers.
I was eager to read the message. It could have been anything. I myself have left notes for the future all over the world. My secret hiding spot? I place small rolled up notes inside the tp holders. You see they come apart and its a great place to stow a note. This started when I was a kid and continues to this day.
The plastic organizer note was hard to read. The writing was unmistakably male. But, I made out the poem he wrote:

I want to leave, away from this place
so far away, out of your life
you hurt me girl, took away my heart
throw it in the trash,
now your with him, am misable
and every time I saw you with him
I just want to brake down, brake down and cry
I just wanna brake down and cry.
I smile...but am crying inside.

Misable indeed. I imagine he was so wrecked with pain that writing a poem couldn't ease his suffering. No, he had to send his agony out into the world.

Well, thank you mister plastic organizer boxer man. Your poem was received and I send it out into the world for others to find.

1 comment:

syp said...

Misable indeed.