last night i dreamed
which on its own was noteworthy
i slipped in shit
at a new job i didn’t want
sweeping up brown liquid
in the front lobby of a preston pub
there were tiled floors
so the rubber broom head swept smoothly
the black liquid
the man was friendly
and before i knew it
i was employed
like a petrol station
there were gas pumps
with liquor hidden below on shelves
and red faced old men
stumbled out of their motel rooms
it was a motel too
and i was registered on an employment site
that i didn’t ask for
the pressure felt enormous
what if they discovered
i was a soft, literary figure
not cut out
to stare down an alco
and know what lines to draw
and also,
why did they shit on the floor?