getting in line

I remember standing in line
with my friend john at the unemployment
office.
we did everything together back then.
we had long hair, and no skills
to speak of. we had
three semesters of community
college under our belts
and were virtually unemployable,
but willing to learn.
we were excited to see
how much money we were going to get
for not working,
for being laid off on account
of the economy, the oil crisis,
weather, something.
it wasn't much, but it kept us
going through the winter months
as we looked in the paper for more
work we weren't qualified for.
his death has not dimmed
the memory of us
sitting in those green chairs,
in a smoke filled waiting room,
heavy with loss,
talking about basketball
and girls, laughing without
a care.