dante never did this
we swelter
we sweat
the a/c has been busted
since last year
a building full of people
fanning themselves in eighty-five degrees
because they have nowhere to go
the poor
the homeless
latchkey kids
wlbur is at the printer like always
making the printer sweat
he prints hundreds of pages
with money given to him
from someone who works hard to keep him away
sucks from a two-liter of diet sprite
no one knows what he prints
no cares
because it feels like we’re dying in here
the aged
the pregnant
kids running around like we’re in a meat locker
impervious to the heat
wilbur has this thing
where he has to tell everyone to
have a great one!
you can hear the printer moan
as another one-hundred pages come slowly out
have a great one, wilbur says to the poor
have a great one, wilbur says to the homeless
the latchkey kids who are scared of him
the aged, too
have a great one, he says to the pregnant women
wilbur sucks from his
two-liter of diet sprite
the slurps are enough to make you go mad
in this kind of warmth
we are most likely dying in this
even though the morning d.j. said,
it’s another beautiful day out
the mini-skirted weather chick said, enjoy
wilbur is dressed all in black like always
like lou reed
like johnny cash
only with a rip up the ass of his jeans
that shows enough yellow, crusted underwear
for the thirteen year old girls to laugh and point
i don’t know how he can
stand it in the sun
i can hear him behind me
slurp
slurp
slurp
have a great one, he says to an arab father
who pulls his sons away
the printer sounds like it’s dying too
it’s going into its death throes
looking for an escape from this place
i touch the running sweat
coming down my forehead
try to maintain
think four or five ice cold vodkas on the couch
get up to stagger to the bathroom
the staff kitchen
for another cup of ice
passing wilbur the printer finally kicks
he shouts
sir
sir
sir
okay, have a great one
but i don’t listen
closing the door
into the silent stale cool of the basement
almost alone
i hear him tell my co-worker
boy, it’s sure is hot in here today.
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