My Character Revealed Poem by Margaret Alice Second

32 degrees C inside, the desk is burning hot,
only ice on my foot keeps the pain away, the
building is heating up - an Apocalypse without
violence, just a quiet insistence on heat as my
African colleagues do not have a problem with
this, they love it and wonder why perspiration
runs down my face, I'm as red as a char


Then a feeling of camaraderie hits me, we in
the trenches fighting against the incompetents
who run the building, excited I spray water all
over, to suffer as a group creates a bond and
I'm glad to be here - to rest my foot on frozen
water bottles, some administrate & I translate
letters to the President, it's so good to feel


This unity, seeing how the challenges reveal
character; I failed by giving in to despair and
could only improve after eating a mountain of
chocolate, salty popcorn and crisps; so let it
be known my character has been revealed
as being dismal until food in overpowering
quantities have been consumed, I shudder

To admit I'm a glutton - though my colleagues
know it already with me munching continuously
as if my life depended on it…

[6 January 2015]