Equal Opportunity Knocks Poem by Laurence Overmire

Standing at the bottom of a huge cylindrical room
Surrounded by doors
All locked
Two chaps considered the situation.

The first summoned his considerable energies
Knocking and pounding with intrepid voice
Raising a clamor to fright Beelzebub, but alas, to no avail.
Spent, he collapsed, eyes closed, exhausted.

The second reached gingerly into his vest
Pulled out a wad of crisp new bills
And slipping one under the nearest door
Waited calmly as it opened.

He passed through quickly and bolted the lock behind him
Precisely so the poor fellow
Stranded on the floor
Would be none the wiser when he woke up.


(Previously published in CER*BER*US, XXXVII, Jan 2000)