Fortune by Anthony Wright

I start day fishing in dirty toilet bowl
and know this rough day tax upon my poor soul

I leave the apartment house and go to job.
Neighbor turn nose away, I think she a snob.

I get in car and go, but stop at market
I put dime in meter after I park it

I go in to get a breakfast snack and drink
A punk child in aisle tell me I stink

Then I go out to car but it gone away
I flag down meter maid and tell her I PAY!

And I ask her mad why she had my car towed.
She say I had park too long on side of road.

I look at wrist watch and see it tick no more
so I not knew I eat too long while in store.

I get on bus I see, and go more to work
Some momma tell kid not sit by nasty jerk.

When at my cookie factory, I go out.
"Next time take shower first!" the bus driver shout.

My job is put fortune in Chinese cookie
It most difficult work, too hard for rookie

Bossman give me evil eye and say I late
Say time is dough and he no like to wait

City health inspector come to look around
He come by me but I not make single sound.

He go to boss and whisper, he point at me
This not good sign, I think, but I wait to see

Later on bossman come and say I fired.
Say I not the clean man he thought he hired.

Before I leave door he give me my last buck,
He toss me fortune cookie and say "good luck"

I hang heavy head and walk outside his door
Need wisdom of fortune for I am dirt poor

Crack cookie open and read what ends this rhyme:
"Man who drop watch in toilet have crappy time."

Thank you for reading my poem. I hope you enjoyed it or at least it made you think. I specialize in ironic story poems which require careful reading. They seem easy to read and straightforward, but I often hide a punch line in them you have to be careful to look for. Note, not all of my poems have them.

Anthony (66.53.12.215) -- Saturday, November 20 2004, 07:23 pm

Yo, laugh a little
Just wondering if anyone has read this poem yet.

TheHelvetican (70.173.74.24) -- Monday, November 28 2016, 06:20 am

Interesting read
For some twisted reason, I find your ironic humor entertaining. Keep it up.

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