who would’ve thought

we stand around
after the CFA training session
wait for lunch
drink soft drink from eskies
talk laugh
de-brief

if there really were thirty kids at that school
and the fire was seven minutes away
there’s no way we would’ve waited
for a bus

the breathing-apparatus team did a great job
found all four dummies
but we told ‘em they’d only found three
and threw one back in the window
when they weren’t looking
yeah
we gave ‘em smoke and everything
they couldn’t see a thing
it was a hoot

that’s a legal document
what you’re scribing there
whatever you write
can be held up in a court of law
so make sure you can read it
and make sure
it’s one-hundred percent accurate

there are more men
than women
but there are women
and young girls

even though we all wear
the same yellow coveralls
and we’re all walking around in chunky boots
it’s still easy enough to tell who’s who
and what’s what

I’m new
and I seem to attract
the conversation of others
who are equally green

do we stand out
is there an aura
of inexperience
that enables us to bond
or seek refuge together
I don’t know

it doesn’t seem to matter
there’s no hint of discrimination here
no sexism today
no practical jokes on the rookies
and I feel included
despite my lack of skill

some of the leaders
even remember my name

talk about
unexpected

© Leanne Murphy 2011