the overnight stock person

the overnight stock person varies with the place of imprisonment---
each retail or grocery store is its own bumbling chaotic center of
amusement
for anyone who understands the nature of
minimum wage + an extra dollar for screwing up your sleep
patterns
in order to work from 9pm to 5am or further---
more than likely,
this individual works another job in the day anyway,
as in case you didn’t notice,
things ain’t so perty in the job market---
they probably stuff themselves full of energy drinks on the way downtown on the
train or
buzzing in their prospective automobile,
if they are fortunate enough to have one---
regardless,
what happens at night after the supervisor has had their moment
giving one the lowdown on
what will go on during the shift,
the “demons” come out---
people bring their substance of choice to ingest while
keeping themselves occupied
people who have come to the conclusion that they aren’t being treated well
take it upon themselves to take from the company what is
rightfully theirs,
to sell on the street later or
to simply treat themselves.

the overnighter can see a lot of turnaround,
as people just don’t have the required stamina to sacrifice their
daytime lives to the need for sleep,
so that they may slave away at night---
whether they are folding clothes in a retail store or
unloading trucks and stocking grocery shelves,
there is no avoiding the obvious truth that
one can’t do this forever &
like red says to andy in
the shawshank redemption,
“every man has a breaking point”---
for that matter, this is the 21st century after all,
every woman has theirs &
no doubt,
the wrath is no less severe.

while we are still hoping that our toil will somehow lead to a
better life
we churn away in the middle of the night,
bottling up our fears that
this
is
how
it
will
end---
ready to snap at any instant,
and yet,
forcing ourselves to accept the most ridiculous of
instructions
in penetrating desperation,
we march on into nothingness
grateful that we are able to be working
amidst the growing
unemployed.