Garbageperson

she’s cold

and the work

is hard

clinging between

winter stops

to the frozen

squealing truck

jumping on and off

hauling curbside garbage

bundled junk

into a hydraulic maw

not falling on the ice

success is her union job

her hourly pay is good

her hair tied back

under the hoodie

perfumed with

diesel fumes

plastic straws

soiled tissues

stick to the bottoms

of emptied bins

a forgotten

candy wrapper

blows away

with an

indifferent

city wind