how 'bout some backpay, eh?

have you seen The Times?

your unpaid internships

may be illegal. such a pity,

but what can you do?

"have you seen the times?"

my benefactors asked over dinner.

they shook their heads ("such a pity"), ordered

more wine to toast the future (lost their savings last year).

the mussels came floating in a spicy broth

while singers dittied showtunes.

i flirted with the tenor by the door, then took

my leave--just ahead of the bill.

fuck the times.

there's no white horse, no one wielding folded steel

and riding in to waive my overdraft charges.

color guard, fife and drum, plumage, pomposity--nunna those.

it's a pity, but what can you do?

roll over and take it.

submissive in the bedroom,

now in the boardroom.