Stephen Hughes

This is my third temp job this year.
I am at Anglia Windows
inputting data with one finger.

The man sat opposite me has been here for 36 years
he corrects people’s mistakes over the phone
tells them they need to be more careful.
I want him to open up

like a patio door
tell us about his one night stands
that he likes to go skinny dipping
how all he really wants to do is write soundtracks

for films.
Everybody here is triple gazed
no-one talks in the queue at the sandwich van
we jangle our change as we wait.

This is my third temp job this year
I am spending my life with people with names like Trevor Spencer
Ian Web, Alan Sunderland,

Stephen Hughes.