I must be perfect at my one job
some would think insignificant
to clean the glass every day
shine the curve unending
my touch is soft a chamois
only, no greasy smear nor scratch
to this unmarred surface
uninitiated believe it easy to leave
no contact of my finger’s print
to this pristine sphere so large
the convexity so slight it can eclipse
the sun my vision of its whole
I inspect minutia, ensure no streak
or wayward nature’s mark
from birds or rain or any outer world
impact, topple, crack this crystal orb
the most important part of the job
as I buff and polish through each night
peer through its one-way veneer
is to never let them know or see
that outside is bigger than they dream
or that the globe is but an ornament in glass
and I, remain the cleaner perpetual
to always watch yet never be seen
Colleen Anderson is a Pushcart, Aurora, Rhysling and Dwarf Stars Award nominee. Her poems have been published in four countries, and in such venues as Mirror Dance, Polu Texni, The Future Fire, and HWA Poetry Showcase. Her poetry collection, I Dreamed a World, is forthcoming in May from LVP Publications.
@celdae | www.colleenanderson.wordpress.com