I chase shoplifters, search them, see them naked. whore my hands, rent my mind, pimp my words. sell shoes made by little hands. I’ve got half the rent. electricity cut off. water bill-final notice. the sun screams epithets at my back, spits at my face, burns my feet in Payless soles. it swallows shadows, eats clouds, breathes hot air. clip on tie. polyblend shirt. Blue Light Specials. at $3.35/hour, I sew tears with leftover thread. part time pay. food in plastic sleeves. registers overflow in green for miles of vegetable fields. untouchable. corporate owned. Dolores, store clerk, found dead in a lettuce field. gunshot. domestic violence. doctor bill. to collections. no health insurance. no vacation pay, but Ford Escort is too old anyway. after 1,000 hours of work a 5 cent per hour raise. from the intercom, We met our daily goal! our department goal! like idiots we applaud because we’re told that communists are bad, that socialism doesn't work, that unions are only in the movies. no Father Hidalgo to break chains. no Sally Field to lead a walkout. the Book of Rosaura Revueltas on the cutting room floor. the manager. bleach blond stick. beige pencil skirt. dollar signs for eyes. holds a dollar shaped sponge. its profit sharing. dunk it in water. it will expand. from the corner Isabel yells, I wish I could do that with my paycheck! What did you say? we laugh. our call for revolution disguised as a joke. and I return to tapping on keys, measuring feet, chasing thieves!
Ricardo Moran (he/him) is a past recipient of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for Poetry. His writing has been published or is forthcoming in Beatific Magazine, Cider Press Review, Midwest Quarterly, Perceptions Magazine, East Jasmine Review, The Seattle Star, and Willa Cather Review. He is a former board member and current advisory board member for San Diego Writers, Ink. and is a former associate editor with Zoetic Press. His debut poetry anthology, Not Quite Heaven, from Broken Tribe Press, was published in 2025 and was shortlisted for the 2024 Tribe Poetry Award. He has delivered poetry readings in Albania, Ireland, and a book signing in Norway. He lives in Albania, enjoys traveling, and learning how to say “good morning” in as many languages as possible. In every timeline, you can find him reading, writing, and plotting right here: www.ricardomoranwriter.com
