Reverse Abecedarian of Domestic Fantasy
Zillow-surfing together again, for the hell of it,
You fiddle with the cuff of my shirtsleeve.
X-marks-the-spot: like a scavenger hunt, I track down the
Wealthiest house in a given zip code.
Visions of white minimalistic cubes
Usurped by gleaming porch lights & ornamented door handles,
Teslas in the driveway, 8 bathrooms –– each measuring approximately
Seven million square feet (rounding up). In this
Realm of luxury, the labyrinthine house features
Queen beds for every dust mite in the place,
Personal maids, chefs, gardeners, anonymous limo drivers.
Of course, all of this is superfluous. I don’t need it,
Not the rooftop jacuzzi or the 6-car garage, not
Marble countertops or 12 bar stools for imaginary friends.
Lately, I dream of a projector screen trained on a blank wall,
Kiki’s Delivery Service & soft blankets & extra-butter popcorn.
Jobs that are tolerable, or, even better, mildly enjoyable,
Imperfectly-folded sheets, your favorite flannel ones with the
Heart pattern. The windowsill by the bed, lined with sprouts:
Green succulents in hand-painted pots.
Film photos taped clumsily to the wall –– proof of life.
Evenings we’d spend dancing to cool jazz, in the
Dining room which is also the living room which is also the kitchen.
Carefully, in the mornings, I’d wake to cook eggs, the new day
Brimming, illustrious, in front of me,
Awake with the promise of capability, faith in what we’ll build.
*
memo for the creative writing major’s job search
after Ryan Eckes’ “memo for labor”
you cannot separate the privilege / from the awards / from the judges / from the debut book deal / from the reading fee / from the MFA degree / from the Advanced Search settings / from the job boards / from the 3-5 years of professional experience required / from the preferred qualifications / from the geography / from the PhD / from the Careers Page / from the mentorship / from the emerging writer contests / from the minimum wage / from freelance or remote or contract work / from the emails beginning with unfortunately, / from the cover letters / from the debut book deal / from the judges / from the prizes / from the money, the money / from the higher education / from the internalized bias / from the friends of the judge / from the inner circle / from the privilege / from the opportunities / from the this is an unpaid internship / from the volunteer work / from the MFA degree / from the shame / from the rejections that come in waves / from the job boards / from the letters of recommendation / from the stipends / from the PhD strongly preferred / from the must be located in or willing to commute to our Manhattan office / from the hope / from the awards / from the ambition, the wishful thinking, / the optimism that grows / more frail by the day
*
Em Townsend is the author of two chapbooks: Astronaut of Loss (Alien Buddha Press, 2025) and growing forwards / growing backwards (Bottlecap Press, 2023). Featured work appears in Gone Lawn, Chestnut Review, Verse Daily, West Trade Review, Frozen Sea, Unbroken Journal, and elsewhere. Read more: https://townsend31.wixsite.com/emtownsend