a cup of coffee and some questions – dialogue poetry for dVerse

· by · in dVerse, free verse, poetry. ·


“There is a dress-code here” he says,
looking at my designer-jeans,
and handmade Italian shoes

I look at his polyester suit,
feeling sweat trickling down my back.
I smile and realize – that I yawn.

“I understand” – smiling (did I brush my teeth?)
— a pungent smell of garlic

“Do you care for a cup of coffee?”

“Yes. please” – I feel a little better
the warm cup in my hand.

“And imagine that we’ve had
such a warm spring”

“Indeed, and soon it’s summer”
Silently I ask myself..
“Do I want to work here?”

“I have brought my CV”
I blurt out – hesitantly,
feeling a persistent itch – to leave

“You can leave it with my secretary”
a sudden edge – scratching at my ribs.
The coffee – suddenly tepid
bitter – at once feel – undrinkable

coffee

At that point – the interview:
“Sit down – when can you start?”


Today at dVerse MTB Claudia teaches us to write poetry with dialogue. I have not been to any jobinterviews like this. But sometimes this is how I would imagine it to start. Pub opens at 9 PM EST.
—
May 9, 2014

62 responses to “a cup of coffee and some questions – dialogue poetry for dVerse”

  1. I’ve DONE this… my first (and only) job till now, I loitered in, a 17 year old teenager in jeans and t-shirt, hair in disarray.. the only reason I’d been there was to drive a friend around to interviews, and maybe drop in my resume. They made me take the interview right then (I was really hopeless at the technical answers) and for some reason, offered me the job. I sensed the impending doom that would be my next three years at the job!
    Loved this.. could perfectly relate…

  7. Interviewed many people they dressed up, me in my jeans and polo shirt and tennis shoes. I never liked doing it, telling someone they aren’t a good fit is a real downer.

  8. Job interviews aren’t fun at all (thankfully, I haven’t had to go to many!) I like the point where the person wonders, “Do I want to work here?”

  9. I loved the touch about the taste of coffee in your mouth. Great use of metaphor!
    As I read your poem I was thinking I’d hate to work in a place where the coffee is tepid and bitter and then realized that the coffee I drink every day at work is bitter, if not tepid.

  10. Dialogue is something I really struggle to write . . . I read it, and read it, but do you think I can write it! Love the comparisons in dress and how the coffee changes taste.

  11. ha. nice…the use of the coffee def adds a feeling to this….and feel the tension as well..the uncertainty sitting in that moment and…i used to teach interview skills at the bank…oy…ha…i have had some rather amusing interviews as well…

  13. I don’t think I have ever been to such interviews & I have done a lot ~ You captured the scene & agony for waiting for that interview ~ Well done Bjorn ~

  14. oh that doesn’t feel at all like the right place to work… trust your inner voice…ha… a job interview can be a lot of stress… dunno… i always loved them – probably because i found it interesting to see a new place and talk to the people

  17. As an actor I had to face auditions, which is a whole different realm of interview. But I’ve had my share of your kind too. One spends so much time trying to psych-out the interviewer, it amazes me that anybody actually gets hired; so many uncontrollable factors; like writing poetry, right brother?

  19. We once had a young girl come to our office for an interview dressed in leopard print – she called our CEO ‘love’! She didn’t get the job…. 🙂

  21. The exchange is palpable. The mood is very transient. Edgy. I’ve had conversations like this. Thankfully not in an interview situation.

  22. Ugh..i hate job interviews and interviewing prospective employees..this piece reminds me of how happy i am that those days are long gone now..

    And haha..all i own is several pair of Nike’s..shorts..and Walmart..Target themed ‘signature’ T-shirts…

    Long gone too are the days of long pants…even when it’s 18 degrees in
    Winter frost…amazing what the removal of stress will do..for the vitality of human life…

    But anyway..Engineers are not a bad lot..they get the job done..without much social hassle usually as far as i’ve seen..in the Military Engineer way of life…in general no nonsense is what it’s all about..from what i remember back in those designing building days…looking at the inside from the outside..at least…

  31. Hmmm, I think I’ve been to some of those job interviews… awkward doesn’t begin to describe and I love your use of non-sequiturs in dialogue.

  34. Interviews – all emotion comes with them, acceptance, rejection all topped with a handshake and smiling face…i can remember those emotions in your conversation….love the ending…bkm

  35. Excellent Björn.
    I have attended such interviews – not that my attire didn’t fit – more so I (knew) I didn’t fit.
    Anna :o]

  38. I think your narrator’s too good for this job. Like the change in coffee temp and flavour reflecting the change in mood. And very cleverly done that dialogue poem – a new one for me. 🙂

  40. An uncomfortable job interview: who can’t relate?! I really feel like that coffee is a prognosticator of how it’s going and how it will be in the future.

  42. This is expertly wrought, Bjorn! I can imagine a job interview like this taking place – and yes, it is relatable. The person is constantly on the edge throughout the process and time feels like it has come to a stop.

  44. Love the ending after the discomfort. Question is, would the job be worth it? You don’t sound like a polyester guy.

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