2026 Day 3: A Numbers Season

A Numbers Season by Penelope Olive 

Days of day-dreaming over
lounging summers book in hand
hanging upside-down from monkey bars…
Time to get a job.
Donning neat outfit with mini heels
purse in tow
Mum brought me downtown
looming concrete building daunting me
a lady banker nice enough
hands me papers tests to complete.
With mum in the waiting room
I felt again the looming concrete
and heart in mouth, humbly asked
Can I redo?
Possibly understanding the mum syndrome
lady banker acquiesced.

First day at job came quickly
again donning neat outfit mini heels
bus felt lonely without Mum
but there I went
and there I spent
in various cement here and there
a lifetime of numbers
balances on paper
(banks loved paper in those days)
counting, balancing, reporting
later guiding, training, coaching
in between many robberies experienced
yes, even with guns…
Yet, I survived
thanks to a love for people
which never left me
to help, encourage, offer care.

Retired now, I read and paint
and draw and write
to my heart’s content
No numbers, no counting
I admonish my dear husband
when it comes to church needs.
And Yet...

There is always a tingle
an excitement a joy
when January comes
with the thought of tax season
and the arrival of numbers
from the bank and the government
and I’m happy again
for a numbers season
of adding and subtracting
and multiplying numbers
and calculator in hand
I find excitement in the air...
Who knew?!

Prompt: Today, we challenge you to write a poem in which a profession or vocation is described differently than it typically is considered to be. Perhaps your poem will feature a very relaxed brain surgeon, or a farmer that hates vegetables. Or maybe you have a poetical alter-ego of your own, who flies a non-wan, treasure-hunting flag with pride.