Talking to a Chair

the chair I sit across from

is made of black leather and has two lines of stitching

that look like a set of closed eyes on a frowning face

but it's the perfect partner for practicing my cold call

which I do in an empty office they can't seem to fill

the phrase cold call is generally avoided at work

but I do use it freely in my mind

the chair is great

it always asks me how my day is going

and it never yells, how'd you get my number!

the chair doesn't make me feel

like the warm plastic of my desk phone

when I press it against my face

a deep distant tone counting down somewhere far off

because I know the chair

and it knows me

it gets where my heads at

we speak openly

together in my conquered corner office

searching for the beauty in persuasion

still struggling to convince ourselves it's there