Paul was cereal: part XXVIII

[this box of Trix was opened on 1 February]

 

 

Paul was how to complete a sentence. Sentiment. Concern. The sort of lines, unscripted that slip in. It was in a cigar box in the clearing. Found like a postcard from out West.

 

“Remember at school when you got lost on Neversink?”

 

When will the papers open up & let sky through, & let a clear hole be formed for flight from this white enclosure?

 

 “& when you came back the kids were all chanting ‘Row Boat! Row Boat! Row Boat!’”

 

That was another time. Brown boxed stacks reached skyward & expanded in branchless bursts with thin, frail leaves; small paper fragments clustering to obscure a sky view. Blending memories. Like lines pulled from a dream.

 

Paul continued moving & shifting through tenses; where birds would feed; a seed stand set in the small yard.

 

“Yeah, I’m a mechanic now”

 

Ralph, crawling around under cars. Less spacing | as in pauses | to give the buyer not exactly enough time to think. Joke with the men, flirt with the women. Out of all the telephone numbers, someone knew Paul.

 

“Do you want an Eagle?”

 

Paul had to visit the guidance consoler after that. Not a trip to the principal, but to the guidance consoler. A pity purchase. The sound of kids playing in the background. But generally, a nice guy.

 

Follow the steps back to class. It wasn’t really talked about. tracks decodable in printed snow. Ring a bell when a sale is made. Piece together parts of speech to sell a subscription.

 

Eyes red & puffy. Paul placed the metal solider on the corner of his desk.

 

 

 

 

Paul was cereal: part XXVII

[this box of Smacks was opened on 1 February]

 

 

Paul was remembered for getting lost in middle school. Walking up through the woods during recess. When he didn’t return for class Steve said Paul was at the Nurse’s Office.

 

Expecting to complete the task. 10 minutes up, 5 minutes down. Always failing with a sale, this is expected. Maybe one success a day.

 

& all the noise around, ringing, pitching, chanting, a ball bouncing around a group & never settling for a second, dialtone, becomes white, reassuringly empty.

 

The progression|digression meaning. Less.

 

A record of the night before in pulled & twisted sheets. Remade. Tucked under.

 

Rewrite the same story for several days. But it is a new story each time. With the same sentences.

 

To prove her sayings wrong, he left. “A creature of habit” that leaves the factory floor, family, & drives. West.

 

After a while all faces fade. Just voices. Ringing.

 

Has the serial form enhanced the story? Will Paul find his way through the words?  

 

Tune in tomorrow for the finale — Part XXVIII of “Paul was cereal”

Paul was ring one, ring two & then hello & then “Can I have a moment of your time to explain the value of…”

Paul was a pause. The need to invigorate undirected words with open space. & then the dialtone again, ringing up the next caller.

Paul was headset on, eyes staring straight into grey cube & computer monitor, opening line on lips, & ready for redial.

Paul was if you call that many people, somebody, somewhere, will in fact purchase your wares.

Paul was telemarketing response tree

Paul was a call bank. Row after cubicle row stretching out in the converted warehouse space. The high ceiling & open airspace served as a large echo mechanism bouncing the consistent sound of scripted speak about the bank & back.

 

 As if someone was whispering behind you all the time.

Paul was once asked about how interesting his job was, by a potential sale. This line, this human interest not scripted, & Paul had no colour coded sheet to respond with.

Paul was spam are the internet’s telemarketing.

Paul was scripted silence.

 

 

 

 

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Paul was autodial, two rings, scripted greeting, dismissal, autodial, two rings, scripted greeting, pitch, dismissal, autodial, one ring, scripted gree — dismissal, autodial, threes, scripted greeting, pitch, dismissal, autodial, five rings, answering machine, scripted greeting, pitch, autodial, two rings, scripted greeting, dismissal, autodial, three rings, scripted greeting, dismissal, autodial, number out of service, autodial, three rings, scripted greeting, dismissal, autodial, four rings, scripted greeting, threat to stop calling or I will cut your balls off, autodial, three rings, scripted greeting, dismissal, autodial, two rings, scripted greeting, pitch, chatter, pitch, chatter, sale, walk to front of office & ring bell, autodial, three rings, scrip — dismissal