Insecure Mail Carrier

I can’t believe I’ve been assigned this mail route.

I’ve only lived in this city two months. Eee!

These streets are crooked as a switchback snake,

And the numbers jump around like a frightened bunny.

I think everyone in this neighborhood

Must be from Russia, or maybe Ukraine.

Trying to match the strange names

With the numbers is driving me insane.

I know they’ll all think I’m a

Stupid one-language American

Too dumb or too lazy to learn

Another language, like maybe Mexican.

Naida Lavon

06-22-10

Write Around Portland Workshop Summer 2010

We picked pieces of papers from an envelop that

had a profession written on one side and an emotion

on the other. We were instructed to write in the voice

of that professional who is that emotion.

My paper said: A Mail Carrier and Insecure

15 minute free write (way too long!)