Zola Works At The Planetarium

Zola works at the planetarium
Where numbers of people drop debris
On the carpet in the dark

She has a Hoover and a broom and
A secret name for each of the planets,
She works when the visitors leave

For their homes or hotels,
When the doors are closed
To the public and the lights

Are turned on. Today she
Finds a plastic spider under a chair,
She finds the receipt for

A selection of groceries,
Behind the door she finds a
Scattering of foreign coins in the shadows.

Zola has a key to the planetarium.
Each evening she changes into a pair
Of soft shoes and ties her hair behind

At the nape of her neck.
She understands the geography of
The building, the rise of its dome.

Zola sings to the planets as she works.
They rotate around her as if she were the sun,
Zola's world of work is the universe.

The security guard watches Zola,
He is old and forgets to clean his teeth,
He tries to memorize the words she is singing.

At home his wife cuts cabbage,
The kitchen is dark and magical,
She also sings the planetarium song.