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Customer Service Ticket Number 16032917, a poem by Rebecca Longenecker

Customer Service Ticket Number 16032017
by Rebecca Longenecker

I pulled the dead things out of the flowerbeds
The dried up stalks, the brown leaves

I got an email that said the book I requested
Was still not available at the library

The thing about the garden this time of year
Is that even cleaned up it is brown

It’s a $2.00 fine when you don’t pick your book up
Be careful what book you wish for

It might cost you a few dollars at the greenhouse
For a bulb a stone that promises to be a flower

In the age of email and Amazon same-day delivery
You would think we could have spring already

The order has been in for a while.


Bio: Rebecca is a born-and-raised Mennonite: the descendant of farmers, missionaries, conscientious objectors, and an unwavering commitment to non-violence. She is a recent graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, where she studied English Language and Literature and dedicated herself to the craft of writing. She currently lives in Indianapolis, where she works as a copywriter and editor and enjoys cooking, candle-making, reading, and writing poetry.