A Crewman Song

by Caleb Yuan

“A Double Quarter Pounder Cheese no onion extra
pickle”, the screen on the far side of assembly line
dings. Red frozen patty falls flat on the darkened,
finger-burning grill – 85 seconds later it will come
out brown and oily (like the floor).

Beep, beep, beep

Bathed in sweat and grease, I run to the frying station,
tear through a bag of cold and gold McNuggets, drop
it in the oil along with the metal basket, and slap the button;
“1” is nuggets, “2” is McChicken, “3” is chicken tender,
“4”-ever is how long my shift is, 5-6-7-8-9 pm until Hell ends.

Dee-doo-dee-doo-dee-dooooooo

“I need a filet FRESH!” My manager Angel peeks her head out
behind the soda machine. She is not so friendly after a 10-hour shift.
The brown paper bag is the Damocles’ Sword, demanding a combination of steamed
bun (why?), half slice of American cheese, a drop of
tartar sauce, and a FRESHly made square-shaped fish.

Wait, did someone say they need a dozen of cookies?
“Where the hell are your blue gloves Caleb???” (Eh, I forgot).
46 seconds left on the grill. “Reg Meat!!” An empty
yellow tray flew across the assembly table. Unfortunately,
“Regular Meat Patty” will not cook itself, and the poor 16-year-old trainee
is still figuring out how to open a bottle of mayo.

“Hey Caleb! Where are my dozens of cookies????” Shit.

“Fuck this, I’m going home!” Oops, and here goes
my backroom comrade Katherine – I think she is
out of cigarette. I peer at the camera screen at the
cash register – cars cramming at the drive-through,
formulating a streamline of never-ending desire
and hunger to fulfil.

Doo-doo-beep-beep-dee-dee-beep-beep-doo-doo-doo-dee

The quarter is coming
out, the nuggets are coming out, the steamed buns are
coming out, and my
$9.50 essential-but-not-so-essential-worker-wage
is coming out. Do you
know what is NOT coming out?
The 23 McChicken add cheese and 100 pieces McNuggets.

I am a recent graduate from Lawrence University with a Psychology & Creative Writing Major. ChatGPT describes my poetry style as “philosophical free verse with introspective depth and existential metaphor, blending raw emotional honesty with moments of surrealism and ironic tenderness.”