for Molly

Kardia Chartis

I have never been where you have been,

so I looked to the land for signs of passage.

Over mountain trails of memories, through

forests of time I tracked you.

Each time I thought I couldn’t go on my eyes felt

the pull of your gravity.

I know my journey to find you is nothing compared

to the travails you faced to get where you are.

When I finally catch up you are weary, and have fallen

prey to time and circumstance.

You grow more disheartened with each step

along your path.

I am here now, though, to tell you that your

days and nights should shine with hope.

Your magic could keep the sun in the sky

and cannot wither under the weight of life.

I will be your guide when you need me; to lead you

home I need only follow the map of my heart.

9.25.07

manic

Who knew Taco Bell could break your heart?

it was 1:30 in the morning and I was reading The Great Shark Hunt in my bed
I suddenly developed a powerful lust for chicken wrapped in pita
maybe it was the story of Reuben Salazar's murder and Oscar's rage that sent me overboard
all I knew was that I was bound to eat, and taquitos were the priority

I made the ride in no time; over the empty streets
slick with dew and the specter of autumn
I even wore a hoody to keep my spine from shaking off the impending chill
the facts of the case:
3 chicken taquitos and a medium Sierra Mist
seven bucks and some change
and I recognized some friends in the car behind me
I chatted with them by phone while I waited for the guy to change the syrup on the soda

zipping home, and there well before the place would have closed at 2
but I don't like eating in bed, so I hope on the computer (yeah, that IS supposed to be hop)
LiveJournal imparts a few tidbits like:
my journal password is too easy to hack, and 
I don't have an account that lets me post polls any longer, and
your birthday is coming

you closed your journal two years ago. about six months after we broke up for good.
worse than that, you deleted any trace of its lifetime as though you were trying to hide from me and all
the other people who knew that part of you
but the computer knows your birthday is coming
less than a month now, and just a few weeks after the anniversary of my sister's wedding
the place where you had too much liquor or dance or joy to keep your finely tuned guard up any longer
and told me that you were falling in love
the place and time when I last knew pure happiness, and hope for the future
the last hurrah of us, since you left me less than three days later

you told me that it didn't matter how we felt, because we were too different
and it would never work
and I tried for almost a year to move on, finally just raging against the dying of our light
and said goodbye.
no woman since has made a dent to compare with your damage. no promise of love or sex or joy
or hope has conquered what you never promised, but simply gave
but here it is, fall again. and your birthday is back from the digital dead.
I was sure I was over you, but who knew taco bell could break your heart

What??

I was just informed that I cannot be hired as a server at OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE because I have visible tattoos on my forearms.

I have experience in the restaurant industry dating back to 1992, including every front-of-house position for which there is a title. This means I have been a busboy, a host, a server, a food runner, and a bartender. I have worked in customer service (without complaints, and certainly without dismissal) for most of my adult life. I have even risen to the position of bar manager and supervised others in a service environment. 

None of that even came up. My qualifications were not even inquired after, my resume not even glanced at. Once the manager saw that I had tattoos, I was simply told that could not possibly do the job of carrying a Bloomin' Onion from the kitchen to the table. Apparently I would reflect badly on the company.

To my knowledge, this is the first time in the 15 years that I have been tattooed that I have been denied employment due to my tattoos. I have worked for the State of NJ in an office setting and they didn't blink about the tattoos. I worked in the art department of a large city newspaper, as well as the customer service area of a Kinko's computer services center. I worked in two chain restaurants and two privately owned bars, none of which gave my tattoos a second glance. Not to mention the fact that the US Army granted me Top Secret clearance during a background check ten years ago, and earlier this year I was deemed good enough to serve as a Mercer County Sheriff's Officer after yet another background check.

According to all current employment law, this is well within the company's right, and I suppose when I really think about it I can't be all that mad. I believe that people should be able to hire and not hire whomever they please. I just cannot fathom that in this day and age, when 25% of the American population in their 30's has a tattoo, and close to 40% of the people in their 20's do, that this is actually still an issue.

Maybe I'm just not facing reality. Let me know what you all think. Would your waiter/waitress having a tattoo negatively impact your dining experience? Ask others you know as well. I really wonder how much this matters.