Terrance Wedin
Poetry
Terrance Wedin is a professional bartender and an adjunct instructor at Columbus College of Art and Design. His writing has appeared in Esquire, Ninth Letter, New World Writing, Smartish Pace, Hobart, and other journals.
I Am Thinking About Power Lines
About how they follow me home from work,
or maybe how I use them like constellations
after the tough shifts when I forget where
I've locked my bike. The electric company
is so polite on the phone. They tend to verify
my life more easily than I am able to verify
my life. I want to ask them for a job putting
up power lines. I imagine you can't drink
on that job. Also, you get to wear gloves.
Think about it. Think about how impressive
that might sound on a date, to tell someone
that you are responsible for putting up power lines.
Imagine holding power lines in your hands
like a snake handler at some electrical church.
or maybe how I use them like constellations
after the tough shifts when I forget where
I've locked my bike. The electric company
is so polite on the phone. They tend to verify
my life more easily than I am able to verify
my life. I want to ask them for a job putting
up power lines. I imagine you can't drink
on that job. Also, you get to wear gloves.
Think about it. Think about how impressive
that might sound on a date, to tell someone
that you are responsible for putting up power lines.
Imagine holding power lines in your hands
like a snake handler at some electrical church.