National Poetry Month: Issue 19

National Poetry Month is crawling toward the end of it's 2104 term and I have another poem by Mario Medina. This one comes from his chapbook called The Buddah Beef Junky. It outlines the struggle many of us have had with trying to decide what we want from a career.

 Hand and Hammer (I've Got Work To Do)*         by Mario Medina

I want to drive trucks,
work at a slaughterhouse,
or be a clerk at the Post Office.
I want to drive nails into planks,
or install someone's electricity.

I want to find out what
it really takes to be a garbage man.
And I want to work a job,
just to be fired.

I want to pilot a New York City cab,
work out in the vegetable fields,
or even be a longshoreman.

I want to work a job
that has livable wages.
I never want to be rich.
Being rich is for suckers.

I've poured coffee,
washed dishes,
stocked shelves,
managed a few warehouses.
I've even been a courier.

The smartest man I've ever met was a janitor.

*Hand and Hammer was previously published in The Buddha Beef Junky

Mario Medina is a musician and poet and lives and works in Waukesha. He has an album, Slouching Toward Nirvana, coming out under his Amps for Buddha label. Check it out at his website.


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