Immigrant Day Worker

by A.D. Joyce

My biggest fear

is to die unnamed

in a foreign land

while lined up or huddled

with others like me

on the corner of Central and Main

in front of Bob’s Hardware

living hand to mouth

all summer and winter

waiting our turn

to be called out

and picked off

for work

in a language

we barely understand.

Sí, señor, puedo.

Yo sé cómo.

A.D. Joyce is a New Jersey–based poet, blogger, and freelance writer. Her poetry has appeared in such publications as Kalyani Magazine and Paterson Literary Review. She is the author of two poetry ebooks: "30 Poems, 30 Days: Inside a Poet's Mind" and "Like. Love. Hate." In addition to writing poetry, jewelry making has become a passion of hers. She considers creativity to be a way of life.