Ronald Steiner, 8/20/2012

Current Occupation: Bakery Assistant
Former Occupation: Movie Extra, Night Shift Nursing Home Janitor, Home Theater Installer, etc.
Contact Information: Ronald Steiner lives and migrates in an infinite loop from western Pennsylvania. He has lived in Arizona, Pittsburgh, and the Philadelphia suburbs. Other than the craft of poetry, he is a playwright and songwriter. Have a listen at www.myspace.com/steinerstreet0.

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High Profile Labor

On my first day of work
I meet Joe at the store,
And help him load
Three – plasma – TVs
and three sets of speakers
Into the van, then wait and listen
To 88.5 WXPN.

I grab the keys to the other van
And drive to Phoenixville to the warehouse
And pick up two more TVs and drop them
Off at the store.

I get back into my car, drive to Center City,
Jump in an elevator, seventeenth floor, meet Joe,
Have lunch – look out over Schuylkill River, Rittenhouse
Square – 30th Street Station, eat California rolls,
And lunch cart hot dogs.

Hang the big plasma in the living room.
Two others in guest bedrooms.
Take a picture out of the window
of Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Meet at Bill’s and ride to Cape May, NJ, run
wires, install product,
program remote, breakout laptop,
design touch screen, fill in the guts –
Test over and over again.

Drive back to store
Stop and get coffee for salesmen
Put entertainment stand together
Wait at the end of the day
Get called into private room
“We have to let you go today”
Last day of work.