by the hour values one by one
play with wages daylight savings
springs forward domestic service labours
(o Spring)
time occupying longer days
productive production capacities
the competitive spirit of abundance
flowering the will to spread the seed
of extra bucks or twos
the currency of spring bulbs
the attention span of a narcissus
(3.35 including tax)
following light to light
serving solar management daintily
without expectation of compensation
only life, the ability to eat well,
breathe, transpire, have roots,
enjoy a drink and a suntan
on days off
seeking the musts and the mosts
of the day
while considering mean wages
and how many more hours til work?
This poem “the ever-imposing tendency towards occupation” originally appeared in Queer Frontiers. Spec. issue of Canadian Literature 224 (Spring 2015): 82.
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