“Mark My Words” by Eilis Ní Dhuibhne

My Angel of a Secretary

by Eilis Ní Dhuibhne, From Mark my Words.

I was sitting at my desk
Outside the boss’s office
Replying to emails
From candidates for places
On the courses we offer;
The effective saint;
Managing eternity efficiently Level Two;
Create the world workshops (NB Seven Day Course).
Then what happens?
This black yoke comes in
With a thousand questions
In its beady eye.
It has wings like me
But otherwise
We’ve nothing, nothing
In common. Have we ?
I gave him the standard line.
I regret that on this occasion we have
No vacancies for crows or artists.
We wish you every success
In your future career.

The creature stayed however.
I did not call security
(Because I am security!
I do everything around here)
And so the loser stayed.

Forever.

 

Mark My Words with illustrations by Alice Maher was published in conjunction with The Night Garden exhibition by Alice Maher and lives in a little black folder with pieces by Maher entitled The Bestiary.

Bower Poems with Image Courtesy of Alice Maher

 

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