H
e a r t S o n s & H e a r t D a u g h t e r s of A l l e n G i n s
b e r g
N
a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R e p o r t 2 0 1 4 : A r c h i
v e s E d i t i o n
DAVE ROSKOS
Over Time Suite
I
I saw garbage
gleaming in the sun
aluminum foil flattened
into asphalt––
some worker’s
sandwich wrappers,
a permanent part
of the parking lot.
1/2
moon, almost 2 a.m.
at work
overtime
cleaning up for the big
event––
only time a year
new hire’s like me
w/o seniority
can get time &
a 1/2.
not fueling buses
tonight;
cleaning.
scrubbed down a bunch
of blue-painted
steel doors
w/ spray-can
cleaner foam
& rags.
last couple hrs
been picking up
trash
in the parking
lot
where the big event
is to be held.
co-worker Chris
is driving
the industrial
floor
cleaning/street sweeper
machine around looking
busy.
the foreman’s
playing
solitaire on the
computer
in the foreman’s
station.
& the crickets are
conversatin’,
you can see the
orange
tip of Chris’
cigarette
light up as he draws
on it
whenever he drives by––
the sound of the
machine gets loud
as he approaches
& then faint
as he circles
to the other end
of the parking
lot
II
Sunday is
carbon monoxide night.
the mechanics turn
on every bus
in the garage
& let em run
for what seems
hours,
to see if they
idle, I guess.
after awhile, you
can
see the exhaust––
burns yr eyes.
III
Redemption
through work.
Addicts
w/ work ethics.
Artist
w/ work ethics.
Addict
& Artist as one.
synonymous ––
(often
enough).
Transcending
addiction
through art.
ART-WORK.
ART-WORK-ETHIC.
Work it out,
up, around,
in.
like a cock in the
cunt
of time.
ART-CRIME.
OFF-RIME.
Find the center
of gravity;
solar plexus pull.
write a poem on a
bus
at work getting
paid for it;
Ethical.
Sweat falling
off
the worker’s face,
push-broom
oblivion.
solitude in yr
thoughts.
a smile on
payday.
flirting w/ bank
tellers.
passing notes.
plotting worker
revolution dreams
or at least a
better
contract; arbitration.
Day Dream Nation : “I
totaled another amp,
I’m calling in
sick.”
the real work
that it’s
impossible
to get paid for;
then again, I’m on
the clock now
as I write this,
hiding on a bus
in the air
conditioning
1
something a.m.
in a Transit
garage in New
jersey; overtime,
$16.20 an hour.
“cut-price poets”:
Brecht on
Broadway,
Hart Crane
haunting
the docks looking
for the ghost
of John Wieners
behind the State
Kapital.
taking notes;
documentation
of mundane
daily activity
& worker
thoughts––
transcendence,
or just not
thinking.
music in the
rumbling of an
engine, beauty
in the turning
of gears, fan-
belts & pulleys;
producing motion.
the getting to
& from
back & forth.
Everything
& everyone
must move.
6/10 & 11/2000
[Originally
published in NHS 2008, http://www.poetspath.com/napalm/nhs08/Dave_Roskos.htm.]