And the Award Goes to...

The staff meeting was in the Coal Mine Café

9 A.M.
I walk in to thunderous applause

it’s the employee awards

plastic Oscar statues
each engraved w/ “Best Voice Over the Radio”
or “Best Smile” or “Best at Dealing With Angry Customers”

it’s 9 A.M.
as the facilitators call out the nominees’ names
and laugh at Chewbacca jokes

they’re all green team
actors by night actors in green lab coats by day

I’m on the red team
single moms stoner musicians
the stagnating poor

we didn’t win any awards
and left before it was over

there was nobody to thank except ourselves

we made our way back in our wrinkled red dress shirts

It was 9:15 A.M.

and I walked out of the Academy Awards
w/ the best overall

© 2009 Lee Kitzis