TheBanyanTree: IT’S ONLY MY NAME BUT IT’S ALL I GOT-

[smack58 at nycap.rr.com]

IT’S ONLY MY NAME BUT IT’S ALL I GOT-


Alrighty then, Ken…
Kin, I corrected.
She looked up at me with annoyance.
Yes, Ken…
No, Kin…
My first name’s
Kin-na-min.  
Kinnaminn
I pointed to the resume.
They call me Kin, not Ken.
She snapped the paper away.
Fine—Kin.  Anyways…
You need to talk to Mr. McCallister.
And he’s not in.


Can I make an appointment?
She didn’t answer.
She turned instead to the computer
And clicked away,
Keys tap-tapping.


Okay, Ken…
I gave up and let her have her way.
He can see you on Thursday.
The card was small in my hand.
It bore the name of 
Ken Callahan.


     ▲▼▲


Hmmm, Mr. Callahan…
And then he stopped
He read my resume
In silence.


What brings you here today?
I stare at him and answer,
A job?
Or is that a question?
Hmmm, he says
Says here you’re a rocket scientist.
Is that true?
Yes, sir but…
Says here you worked at NASA.
Yes, but…
So I ask you…Ken
He takes a deep breath,
Looking down at the application.


Kin, I say.
My first name’s
Kin-na-min.  
Kinnaminn.
They call me Kin, not Ken.


Hmm, Kin?
Says Ken here.
He points to the error.
It’s a mistake, I say
Yes, s’pose it is a mistake;
To hire a rocket scientist 
To clean latrines,
To wash the windows.
Yes, it’s a mistake.


No, sir, it’s my name…


Your name?
He looks down again
At the dog-eared page.
And in the silence
I know he’s decided.
Can’t use you Ken
No place for you here.
Got no need for a rocket scientist.


I gave up and let him have it,
Have my name.


I’m not a rocket scientist anymore.
I’ve left that now.
I need the job.


Well, we’ll see, Ken.
Don’t call us, we’ll call you?
I hear it in his pause,
In the silence.


We’ll get back to you.