Office Supplies
by Tanya McDonald, Billie Dee, and Michael Dylan Welch
First published in Hedgerow #140, December 2022, page 16. Originally started on the Hyak ferry from Bremerton to Seattle in October of 2009 (after a Seabeck Haiku Getaway weekend), forgotten for 13 years, and then the last two verses were polished off in October of 2022. The Hyak ferry retired from service in 2019.
the paperclip
bent into a heart—
hold music Tanya
out of whiteout
winter afternoon Billie
fiftieth birthday—
my manager’s doodle
on the pink slip Michael
hole-punch confetti
stuck to the janitor’s shoes Tanya
printer jam
the instruction manual
in broken English Billie
retirement speech
into the shredder Michael