Cover Letter (a poem)

Dear Registry,

Dear Search Engine,

Dear Wanted Ad,

Dear, Dear, Dear...

Take a good, hard look.

It has all the important information

It’s small, and heavy, and not a book

It’s social automation

People prefer this stuff in binary code

Black and white, me and you, one person and zero job

This is past the point of choosing a road

This is to join the majority of silence

“Dear hiring manager” – as good a start as any

Or do you prefer “To whom it may concern?”

Remember when things could cost a penny?

There are more brackets now.

Elections, taxes, and classes without school

There's a curve, but no ringing of the bell.

Remember the ashes in an urn?

That was student council

That was the shaking of empty hands

Volunteering to give away your years.

Yes, that’s the letter, turning to stone

Make sure to get your numbers right

There's nothing so heavy as a silent phone

Too much ground to cover

Too many heights to climb

And thank you for your consideration, your time.

Sincerely,

Applicant