The Insatiable Demand

He chopped his work
into little pieces so he could
fill the pockets of his awareness
and carry it with him on his trips
to everywhere as he hurried to catch
the tail feathers of his errands.
His office door kept swinging
and his car never cooled as he tried
to be elsewhere at the same time
he was here. The letter to mail,
the contract to sign, the man to see,
led him to such haste that the
telephone never stopped ringing
in ears tuned to calls he could not
find time to answer. It is said
he slept with one eye open lest
a knock on the door catch him napping.

    Original Citation
    The New Renaissance 111.3 (Jan. 1979) 45.
    Word Count
    113
    Original Publication
    Date Published
    1979
    Complete Poems
    375
    First Line
    He chopped his work
    Poetic Form
    open
    Bibliographic Notes

    Ward lists title as "The Inevitable Demand"