I took a job at the Talen Energy Corporation
of Allentown, PA. I’m now a Nuclear Plant
Operator in Training.
I walk to work. On front lawns, sidewalks,
and the freeway (for only one exit), onto open field;
I walk to work. And as I do, the wool gathers.
And images of Daniel J. Evans
and the Douglas Firs come back.
Already step printed. Like thinned oil paint.
I took this job because I had a two year associate's degree
in Applied Sciences. And I did not wish to join the Navy.
And I needed a change of scenery. Allentown was bought by the Quakers
for hats with buckles, needles,
rum, and horses.
I carried a Weber Grill on my back to the field near the Nuclear Power Plant
where I work as an Operator
in Training. In the evenings I will cook
for other Operators in Training. We will pull cans of soda and beer out
from the holes I have dug into the ground, deep into the ground, and talk
about how we’re finding working at Talen. I will ask for a ride home.
Or I will sleep in the field. Or I will walk and dream. Walk and dream of Olympia.
