20151205 (grace realized)

You can go for years not knowing you were blessed

For too many years I was ashamed

That after college I worked for the

Post Office as just a mailman I can’t

Say just a regular mailman because 

Technically regulars had individual

Routes they delivered daily that

Pure boredom would have killed me

No I started at the bottom as a 

Substitute carrier lowest of the low

No minimum hours kind of a

Schedule roulette showed up

Early fetched mail for others 

If someone was unexpectedly

Late you might case his route

Till he showed up after getting

Their routes ready some regulars

Offered to leave let you carry

Their routes little was killer work

I speculated the post office had

Served as a hiring sop for the

Government guaranteeing a job

For all the vets returning from

World War II and just never

Stopped loading people into

The force duties were generously

Apportioned as a result it proved

A remarkably social place much

Camaraderie coffee breaks aplenty

The weather could be tough but

There’s no silver lining without

A cloud this took place as I was

Emerging from chronic depression

And I could choose to be social

Or withdrawn as I felt I can see

Now it was a good match as my

State lightened as I was more able

To discharge the variety of tasks

I chanced opening up made friends

With my fellows and among women

Who were our clerks the amity

Of labor filled my real need to learn

About people from every stratum 

Of endeavor since I was quick

And clever the work was soon

Done warned not to return

To the office too soon kill the 

Job I partook of the fakery

Thinking it’s not my job to

Police the assignments they can’t

Be so slow not to know there

Was ample time to drink dabble

In crime go home sleep

Wander read a book study

As I did for my law classes

In my wife’s office downtown

Tremont Ohio City where I 

Often worked were just beginning

Their trek into chi-chi residency

I misbehaved in those glory days

At lunch I found that a six foot 

Stretch of electrical conduit topped

With a cardboard cone from the

Tying machines made a fine

Trumpet to blare through the

Work area I blew with abandon

The mighty instrument then 

Quickly disassembled it when

The authorities came to see what

Was about they knew it was I

But withheld their wrath hoping

That a couple more good-hearted 

Blasts would settle me down

c. J.S.Manista, 2015