No Layoffs
by Carly Davis
Oh god [stop] oh god
Kyrie eleison/cristae eleison
Me as well, I want
The atoms in my body
The air through my hands
Keep moving faster [stop] faster
She/she/she/she/she
[stop] Slide back the bar
Replace the ink strip
This machine kills words
And when I clock out
All’s left at the tabernacle
Where two carbon paper altar boys
Oh god [stop] oh god
I lock myself in that small, golden box
Carly Davis is pursuing their master's degree in English at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, where she also teaches critical AI literacy, rhetoric, and creative writing. They read for the Cream City Review and volunteer at Woodland Pattern Book Center.