Police river! O small white flowers
underfoot O in each five tree tops,
birds Sometimes a small branch will
drop As if sung down By bird.
Well done, Jer says on bus. Really
good job, everybody.
Greens brought back and we re-
dress.
Get ready, Jer says.
Then it is Root Beer Which I have
never None of us has Suddenly in
love with Root Beer and would like an-
other Can we? We may.
All the way home, warm happy Root
Beer blur.
Jer looks over gives wink of: 89,
you did good.
Which sure of course will well one’s
heart.
R
oom Valiant has intercom prob
lem A crackle will come All
in Room Valiant may then clearly hear
who are out there talking, while they,
out there talking, do not know it.
Once, for example, long ago, last
week, Kennedy B., talking on phone to
boyfriend Kevin:
I shop, I cook, said Kennedy B. Plus
I have a job I actually have to, like, go to?
Meg, there with me and Jer in
Room Valiant, gave Jer look of: Ha,
we are hearing Kennedy B. on phone
and she does not know it. Then put
finger to lips, meaning: If quiet, will
hear more.
That is not work, Kevin, Kennedy B.
said. I do not consider letting Jeeves in
and out actual work. When someone
starts sending you a check for that, or
for scooping its poop, that is a job. In
my view.
We should probably get that thing
fixed, Meg said.
Oh, gosh, said Kennedy B. Is that
on? Did you guys hear me just now?
No, Jer said.
I’m not talking to you, babe, Ken-
nedy B. said. I’m talking to Jerry
and Meg.
Today, me alone in Room Valiant,
here comes same crackle:
Here’s what I don’t get, Meg says.
Why does he need agespot? Why pre
cracked? Right? Big waste. He just
needs to know enough so we can
move his old ass around. Are we mak-
ing butlers up in here? Substitute hub-
bies for widows? Are we back to that?
I wish, Kennedy B. says sad l y.
Honestly? says Jer. It floats my boat.
This shit gets pretty boring.
Butlers? Hubbies? Widows?
Floats? Boat? Shit?
I did not understand what you just
said, please explain, I say.
Beautiful, he heard all that, says Jer.
Yes, I say.
Go to sleep, 89, Meg says. Big day
tomorrow.
Job Two tomorrow, Jer says. You’ve
been approved for Job Two.
Because of how good you did on Job
One, says Meg. Isn’t that great?
You’re really going places, 89, says
Kennedy B.
J
ob Two:
Again bus.
Arrive at whole new Site.
Some ladies step out from sepa-
rate bus For them to change behind:
scrim Which our Supervisors term:
unfortunate scrim While doing mad
winking Ladies go in green and come
out in clothes of various One can-
not get shoe on and smiling at self
shakes head, tosses shoe Takes off
other shoe, tosses As if to say, Oh heck,
who needs shoes to bellow?
We men enter unfortunate scrim
Which still smells somewhat lady ish
Here are the ladies’ green clothes heaps
All freeze, our eyes go a little blank
Break it up, says Jer, alarm ed.
Dream on, says Supervisor Marty.
Like that’s happening, says Jer.
And thrusts into our arms clothes
bundles anew.
Today I am: white sweater blue
pants floppy tan hat.
Through bouncing walking heads of
our cohort: playground Like its Han-
diPic Except not Another wrong
HandiPic! This playground has no
children chasing butterfly! Only Po
lice Standing unhappy One sitting
in swing His Police friend gives him
a stickpoke Which hops him to his
feet While his swing just swings He
who hopped looks at me direct I try
a wink.
No go.
That Police must not feel like
winking.
Beyond Police: big crowd of Bas
tardTurdCreepIdiots.
52 THENEWYORKER,AUGUST19, 2019
“May I suggest volunteering to take over the PTA signup committee?”
• •
