Hey, y’all. I will be offline for a few days. The reason I tell you this is not because I’m the great and powerful Oz Blogger. The internet won’t evaporate into a thick, black hole without me. I wanted to let you know if you comment, it may take a while for it to appear. But I promise to get you up there as soon as possible. If you don’t want to comment, that’s okay, too. It’s all good, baby!
Now, my day job…that’s where I’m important. Why, I meet all sorts of famous people every day. I’ll leave Sir William in here to say hello to you. Even though I’m of such high importance in the workforce, I still root for the underdog. Even the annoying ones. Garsh, I wonder why.
The Day I Saved Willy Lowman
Julie Buffaloe-Yoder
I really should give him
the back of my hand.
It’s Friday, the boss
is golfing, and all
my work grows teeth.
But the door opens.
I smell moth balls.
and there he is in a
faded plaid green coat,
gray hair falling out,
shiny shoes cracked,
worn down into
the shape of his feet.
He has a picture of kids
hanging from a plastic
World’s Greatest
Grandpa key ring.
I sigh, grit my teeth.
But I just can’t kick
Willy Lowman
out onto the street.
I waste twenty minutes
looking at catalogs,
laughing at corny jokes,
worrying about what
I have to get done.
I order twenty dollars
worth of cheap BIC pens
and pray I have enough
peanuts left on the VISA.
He’s so excited he drops
his sample of multi-colored
paper clips on the floor.
I waste ten more minutes
picking up clips
and telling him it’s okay.
He drives away grinning
in a beat up Chevrolet
Cavalier, circa 1991,
and my phone screams
with fat boy clients
demanding reports they
should have received
thirty minutes ago.
Still, it makes me happy
on a sun shiny Friday
to know Willy Lowman
can take off that jacket,
those shiny old shoes,
drink warm home brew,
eat bratwurst and cabbage
at a creaky kitchen table,
and tell his little woman
how he reeled one in
this week.
WOO! I think if you’re not careful you might become one of my favouritest poets like ever *grin* *lots of pompom twirling and doing of the splits* (actually I’m lying, I’ve never been able to do them, I couldn’t even do a proper cartwheel)….this is bloomin wonderful. Wonderful. I was smiling the whole way through. It’s beautifully done, wondrous, gentle rhymes that pull you along, lovely images and such humanity. Yep, this is fab.
Thank you, Jo! You just made my day. I’ve never had anybody do even imaginary splits for me before. I’ve had several people who imagined shooting me, though. Ha! You are so nice. Thanks a million times.
OH, this is so inspiring! Like a scene from Norma Rae! Can’t help but making the connection, and of course this is a compliment…I loved that movie! And your details, as always, are so beautiful!
You’ve got such a gift (I hate words like “gift” and I really hardly ever use them) but you can pick just the sound, word, detail, to make us know what you want us to know. This is wonderful. Thank you
I’d say I’ll miss you, but I find I think of you and Miss Eula every time I pass one of those eastern NC family graveyards carved in the middle of a cornfield, lol.
Have fun on your blogiday (That’s “blog holiday”, not blog a day.) Looking forward to your next post.
Oh wow, if I’d known this was here, I’d ‘a been here earlier. Funny, my eyes or my brain did something funny while I was reading and said something like “teething ring” instead of “key ring”. I think it’s apt and, because I’m a bit weird, I think my mind was MEANT to do this!
Pulitzer for Buffaloe-Yoder! Who’s joining the group?
You’re a wonderful poet Julie. Hope your project went well.
Thank you everyone so much! I’ll be back to comment personally soon. Back like a bad rash…hee hee. Thank you and talk to you soon.
this is a classic–oh yeah
Where are you, O Great and Powerful Oz Blogger?
This one pulls at my heartstrings. I have such a soft spot for Willy Lowman, and so does the narrator of your poem. Great details of everyday life, a wonderful poem. Thanks for sharing before you go offline for a few days.
Thanks, Christine. I appreciate your kind words. I have a soft spot for the Willies of the world. Take care!
Oh, and I meant to say thanks to everyone else, too. I missed y’all while I was gone. Now I’m still catching up!