Arrival at 12:15pm:
things are sort of in progress
without me.
There’s a conference going on,
and people seem surprised
to see me walk in.
I am told there’s not a huge lot of food,
so it should take less than an hour.
So I amble into the hall
where the tables are set up
with boxes of packaged goods.
Some are sealed,
so I am helped to two pairs of scissors.
I begin unpacking items
and laying them on the table.
Two children lend me a hand
and seem more proficient at the task
than I do. A friend comes along
and rearranges the work
I’ve already done
to ensure there’s enough table space
for all of the boxed food.
The day is warm,
and as a result we sweat.
Then, as an anticlimax,
the work is done.
That’s it, the big event is over.
The next moment, I’m trudging home
under the brutal sun,
hot and tired,
one foot after the other,
imagining myself already there,
taking a Vraylar nap.