There is Juan Valdez sweat and mule shit
in the bottom of my cup;
it’s a long morning climb
to elevations needed for the beans to grow.
It’s cold on the mountain in the morning
when the fire has gone out
and you’re sitting alone in the dark
and the only warmth you can find
is the coffee in your cup
that when cold tastes like a turd
of a mule. But it’s a long slog up the slope
to the microwave,
and the ornery hardheaded jackass
first needs to pee.
I guess this is the life you’re stuck with
when you’ve run off all the good help.
W. Barrett Munn is a graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature where he studied writing under Larry Callen. His poetry has been published in Copperfiled Review Quarterly, Volney Road Review, Speckled Trout Review, New Verse News, Book of Maches, and many others are scheduled for future publication in 2023.
