That Office In Pompeii Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

they thought I was interrupting their work
on purpose in the fairytale quarries
so that they could never complete their tasks
professionally speaking, you know, advance
and so they hated to see me coming.
they did not understand
the similarity to keeping those awake
who want to fall asleep in a snow drift
lest they lose consciousness and die.
I was trying to keep them talking
about light things, about light hearted things
so that they would not turn to stone.
mary angela douglas 14 october 2023