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postal clerk

by Kristina Woodhill

i need to learn a few good jokes
i want to casually lay them out

on the post office counter
next time I buy stamps

from the clerk in the corner window
his non-stop mouth his eyes

glancing down the captive line
behind the wait-here line, seeing who laughs

keeping score and I know he's probably
just trying to keep people from going postal

right in front of him, blowing this small town
facade of respectability and calm all to hell

and back as i know he knows everyone
who walks through that door and he's been

a good soldier and a recruiter in fact
and every trembling package pushed across

with APO flag-waving hope and hidden
pent-up tears keeps him wondering which kid

he mailed to the front and which ones
come back sealed

return to sender

09/25/2010

Posted on 09/25/2010
Copyright © 2025 Kristina Woodhill

Member Comments on this Poem
Posted by V. Blake on 09/25/10 at 05:54 PM

Lots of clever lines here. The split between each couplet made me go back a couple of times to reread the line before. Great stuff as always.

Posted by Charlie Morgan on 09/25/10 at 09:47 PM

...all that vince said and more[i'm older, so there] kristina, i wheeled into this one like a stop 'n go and got full-grocery. a zigity zag, nicely done.

Posted by George Hoerner on 09/26/10 at 08:33 PM

Just think what a postal clerk knows about each of us in a small town. Valentines day, Christmas, etc... A fine write m'lady.

Posted by Joe Cramer on 09/27/10 at 10:22 PM

... excellent.....

Posted by A. Paige White on 09/28/10 at 08:07 PM

I love how you paint a picture of a game (some games have serious conclusions) someone plays with their job. Could be he's marking the laughers to meet a goal he privately set to help mark the time. You definitely put me there in line watching and waiting... perfectly done.

Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 01/08/11 at 02:39 PM

Love this poem. I have made friends with a number of postal clerks in my home town through the years. Some of them a real delight! You start with a playful mood which changes to quite poignancy. One to go on my favorites list.

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