Jill Magi: I’m Jill Magi, and this is PoetryNow. This past year I experienced a lot of stress at my job. So I recall at one point doing what we sometimes do, going to the Internet to see what kind of tips or help we can get. What I found from my search was actually advice to job seekers about how to interview and talk about stress. So for a poet, when you know, we’re thinking about language and what’s interesting language, it’s also sometimes good for a poet to think about what is not interesting language. I think that it becomes apparent really quickly that this is a collection of language tips.

(READS POEM)

I’m an Avid Skier

Stress is very important to me.

With stress, I do the best possible job.

From a personal perspective, I manage stress

by visiting the gym every evening.

It’s a great stress reducer.

I find that when I’m under the pressure

of a deadline, I can do some of my most

creative work. I’m not a person

who has a difficult time with stress.

When I’m under pressure, I focus,

and get the job done. I find it exhilarating

to be in a dynamic environment

where the pressure is on.

I find a fast pace to be invigorating,

and thrive when the pressure is on.

I am an excellent employee

and I didn’t want my unhappiness

to have any impact on the job

I was doing for my employer.

I’m looking for a bigger challenge

and to grow my career

and I couldn’t job hunt part time

while working. It didn’t seem ethical

to use my former employer’s time.

I’m looking for a company where I can grow

in a team-oriented environment.

One of my greatest passions

is helping others. When I was younger,

I’ve enjoyed helping mom

with household repairs. As I grew older,

that habit grew and I desired

to help others as well.

I’m passionate about painting.

I take an evening art class

once a week and try to find time

each weekend to paint. Painting

is a good way for me to relax

and even though I don’t have much talent,

I do enjoy it. When I’m involved with a project

at work I want to do my best to achieve success.

I feel the same way about what I do

in my personal life. I’m an avid skier

and I like to spend weekends

and vacations on the ski slopes.

* * *

While the poem in its tone might be a little bit banal, maybe even humorous, really underneath it is anxiety. To me, this whole list of responses said that the economy is tight, and there are costs associated with being honest. I think it’s very interesting that the burden of dealing with stress falls on the worker. That’s something I’ve really seen in my work life for several decades. That more and more of handling things falls on the worker. Over the years, people have been working longer and longer hours. Many people are let go and not replaced, so that I think the average worker has a lot more that they have to do. My hope from the poem is that we can see the way we’re told to speak and present ourselves and really think about it critically, and sort of contrast that with what we need to say to each other. Which is, I think we need to share stories of just how precarious and difficult things are out there. So that we, above all, know that we’re not alone.

Katie Klocksin: That was Jill Magi and her poem “I’m an Avid Skier.” I’m Katie Klocksin and this is PoetryNow, a production of the Poetry Foundation. For more about this series, go to poetryfoundation.org/poetrynow.