Poetry

Four Snapshots of the Job Market

Poems with found text from classified ads

Cookie Dough Mixer Wanted

Baker needs someone who enjoys the smell of cinnamon to help with mixing a lot of cookie dough, a position with a lot of responsibility and a lot of lifting. Move heavy bags of ingredients, scoop dough into buckets, stack buckets on pallets. Be paid to stay in shape. Vacation, health insurance, cookies included.

Cover Letter

We have mutually beneficial reasons to meet, given my ten years of preparing top-quality meals. Taste, ingredients — I am uncompromising. I serve wholeheartedly: I used only one sick day with my last company. I look forward to putting my dedication to work in your kitchen. Call me.

Sign Waver Wanted

Do you like people? Do you want to spend hours outdoors doing something fun? Help us promote our bookkeeping business. No sales or experience necessary but you must be able to walk and stand still for long periods of time.

Cover Letter

Cover letters fall into categories but I don’t. I’m a good match for the construction industry, and I feel one with all software. I did an internship and an assistantship. I developed lesson plans. Currently, I staff a hotline. I will return to teaching. I will return your call.

I wrote these poems using found text from craigslist ads as well as some online guides to writing effective cover letters. Over the years I’ve written quite a few poems which borrow text from the anonymous authors of craigslist, and I help maintain this anonymity by combing text from a variety of ads from different cities. My collection of poems inspired by craigslist missed connections ads is available as an ebook called I Meant to Say.