Sweet Withdrawal (Rev) Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Becoming a stand-up translator instead of a stand-up
comedian, relaying dry source-text less its witticisms,
sinking lower to reach a keyboard from above: built a
leaning tower of Pisa to elevate screen & TWO Eiffel
towers next to each other to levitate my keyboard -

My chair fell apart, second-to-last caster wheel broke
off, and sitting on life-threatening office-chairs isn’t a
success for me; two IT experts claim it is healthier to
stand all day - tho’ their contrivances are much more
professional than mine - so I’m applying the advice -

As long as legs & feet hold me up long enough - all
the while trying to stop my book-towers from falling -
we’ll see where it takes me - if any change is good
as a holiday, then I’m on vacation in the office; Mme
Pompadour has assured me no chair’s forthcoming

This is after State Employer bought her haughtiness
a special chair & built her a separate office because
she has a psychologist’s letter, using up enough sick
leave to merit final notices; anything to do with health
sounds good: thus I listen to Maria Callas, Gounod’s

Ave Maria, on repeat before moving to “Blue Tango”
to watch Death dancing, Renata Flitworth in a scene
eternally imprinted on my heart - reverently right next
to the Torah with its pure ideals lighting up my inner
cathedral of peace with this relaxing harmony

in sweet withdrawal from tumultuous life…