monday morning elevator ride up to the office
riding with a slender young woman whose long copper hair
looks wet and is parted all awry
she yawns and groans
says, excuse me
i straighten my tie in the elevator’s mirrored wall
the yawning copper-haired woman looks at the elevator’s floor
looks at the elevator’s ceiling
whispers, whisper
the elevator’s bell dings at my stop
the doors slide open, i step out, hearing the elevator doors
slide closed behind me
a whispering noise
(Copyright 2023 by Tetman Callis.)