Illegal

I live in a tiny apartment
with five other men,
sleep in a tiny cubicle
and pay half my money for this.
I work for a fast food place
delivering food orders,
mostly paid by credit card
so I don’t know how much they tip.
Most of the people who pay cash
just give me two dollars.
It’s better than nothing.
I send most of my money
to my folks in Mexico
which keeps them alive and fed.
I had a gift for computers
but couldn’t stay in school
long enough to build skills.
Unless I get more training
I can’t get a better job
and I’ll just deliver food
‘til I’m too old to ride a bike.

Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director and worked as an art dealer when he couldn't earn a living in the theater. He has also been a tennis pro, a ditch digger and a salvage diver. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and his published books include 40 poetry collections, 16 novels, 4 short story collections, 2 collection of essays and 8 books of plays. Gary lives in New York City. Read other articles by Gary.