And while we’re talking about work

by Owen Gallagher

You can’t sling Capitalism
into the washing machine,
set it at the highest temperature
and expect it to come out
bleached white and smelling of lavender.

It can’t be drycleaned,
the fabric’s too stubborn.
It’s showing signs of wear and tear
and was never a good fit.

Don’t think you can shrink
this one-size-only corset.
Of course, it can be altered,
rebranded and remarketed,
to flatter your shape for a while.

Poking their Spokes

by Owen Gallagher

They’d rather replace us with machines,
maintenance-free, efficient as a bicycle

They’d rather do this than retain
the likes of us
who stop to talk about conditions
and gawk at the clock
or the sky through a window.

Until machinery is installed,
they’ll keep us
barely inflated with wages.

When our parts are worn out,
our frames buckled,
they’ll replace us with younger models,
quieter, more pedal power, easy to propel.