159
Sonnets From Other Lives: Les

It wasn’t what he said but how he said it
that got Les feeling weird & paranoid.
Take all the time you need--he said. Les let it
go at first. He knew he should avoid
his natural instinct to fear the worst.
But was he being set up? Was this job
designed by management to cull the first
victims of the coming layoffs? God—
he needed a Xanex—maybe a martini.
It’s nothing asshole. Jesus—get a grip.
Just go & do your job you fucking weenie.
He sat down at his cube & took a sip
of tepid coffee from an old chipped cup.
He never could believe he measured up.