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Good citizen
I'm making a call to the tax office
not something I do often
but I left the country
and I've been a good citizen
so they may owe me for a change
my paperwork got lost and this is my second call
by chance I am talking to the same employee
last time he told me there were many changes
happening in his department and it didn't sound
as if he agreed with them.
I've resubmitted the paperwork and heard nothing
so we speak again
he tells me they have a note of receipt but no papers
"we have so much paperwork" he says sadly
"it appears to have got lost
we ship it out to other departments and that's usually the case"
well, I'm listening to this defeat
and resignation in this voice
I picture him battling paperwork
and new departmental procedures
soon I have forgotten the money and I want to ask him
"are you all right, you sound very sad?
are you not happy in your job?"
but I know he is not and he has already told me that
in the way he has spoken to me as if I am
his wife or another frontline employee on the
receiving end of madness
his voice wavers as it apologizes
I put the phone down softly
I wanted to get angry about the incompetence
but all I can imagine is this man
his head in his hands
and a tear of desperation
making a blot
on the paperwork they haven't lost
The Spanish women
the old Spanish women dress like it is still the 1960's
and come out onto the street to sweep and mop the pavement
they go about their work,
naked faces wrinkled and eyes blinking in daylight
singing silent songs to the sunlit sky
one foot in the past and a glance over the shoulder
looking for Franco's ghost
they eye the guardia civil cautiously
as they crawl through the town
the young women of spain never knew the past
they dress in designer fashions and make up
expensive sunglasses shade their eyes
from the things they do not want to be aware of
loudly moving from store to store
new money burning holes in their leather purses
thinking of the future and the wealthy men
their confidence growing unashamed
unafraid of ghosts whoever they once were
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