One beautiful early fall day
You will walk across campus
On your way
To clean your classmates' bathrooms
For just above minimum wage.
You'll pass the girls on blankets
And the boys in shorts tossing a frisbee
Back and forth.
It won't even occur to you
The system and powers in place
That even allowed you to do this.
But scrub the toilet
And be so precise with the glass cleaner
That the mirror reflects the brilliance
And irreplaceable feeling
Of being able to truly know
You earned, without question
Every wondrous triumph
You will achieve.
Continue
Stay in the room a little longer.
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Part of a living collection since September 2024.