The Violence of Work
I work in a factory
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i work a rotating roster
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i wear earmuffs & gloves
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i stamp on a press
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i still had my fingers last
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i work on a tally
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i'm told to work faster
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i have smoko with Billy
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i
play euchre at lunchtime
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i just do my best
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i'm paid the award
for
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
i don't complain to
the boss
Monday to Friday
punch on punch off
but complain to my
partner
Monday to Sunday
want to punch on
punch on.
Geoff Goodfellow
Punch On Punch
Off was published by The Vulgar
Press in 2004, so it must be kind of hard to come upon now. It was
one of the books being chucked by Frankston Library, so that's how I
got my hands on it. My father worked in a factory. A wooden box
factory. Yes, he and his brother owned the factory, but they both
worked on the floor. And yes, they both lost fingers. Law of
averages. One careless moment. So I was very moved by this book. And
very taken, also, with the musical intensity, and the compassionate
simplicity. Simple is never easy.
http://www.geoffgoodfellow.com/
I had Geoff come to my high school and he read this poem. It really resonated with me coming from a low socio economic background, my dad worked in a sawmill, had lost a finger. And would take out his anger at home.
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