32 Comments
User's avatar
small victories's avatar

LONGtime industry worker here. I'll simply say that I love love LOVE this.

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

oh my gosh you too?? it’s been around 14 years for me (on and off).. it’s brought me so many things / people / gifts but also can be so tough.. i love knowing that you GET it!! happy this poem resonated with you as well <3

Expand full comment
small victories's avatar

Probably the toughest yet most satisfying job I've done. It's taught me so much about life and people in general. Every time I'm away from the industry I find myself missing it. I'm already eyeing places near my work for weekend shifts 🙃

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

I feel the same way! I did remote work for tech companies for 4 years during covid times and it was so depressing for me — i love being surrounded by people and getting my social time at work! and cheap or free food! and the hecticness of it all hahaha. i hope you find an awesome spot soon!

Expand full comment
Alexander Semenyuk's avatar

Nice work, can relate, my other job is personal trainer, but I’d rather be a full time writer only haha

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

personal trainer, that is so interesting!! sounds like something that keeps you healthy which is great!

Expand full comment
Alexander Semenyuk's avatar

Has that benefit for sure!

Expand full comment
David Kirkby's avatar

Oh yeah. Have been there, waiting tables.

This is great, when your day waiting tables probably wasn't....

and that is the art of poetry, and living...

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

the art of balancing it all! luckily i have found a restaurant job that i actually like, where i get to wear whatever i want and i’m surrounded by really good people. so i’m lucky as far as that goes! have had way too many restaurant nightmares in my day ahahhaa

Expand full comment
Sam Messersmith's avatar

So good it hurts

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

gahhh THANK YOU. that means the world to me!! so happy that you’re here <33

Expand full comment
Positively Siân's avatar

Gorgeous!

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

i appreciate that sm, thank you for taking the time to read it 🥹

Expand full comment
Ash Kilback's avatar

"[what

do you love so / profoundly the

thought of losing it separates

the skin / from your bones]" - ooof, what a hearthrob of a question!! 💛

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

🥹🥹 i wish i had time/space as a server to talk about these things but people just want their eggs poached medium and that’s ok i guess lmaooooo

Expand full comment
abigail's avatar

This is so insanely personal and relatable to any romantic that has ever worked in the service industry. Thank u for sharing 🩷

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

gahh i’m so grateful that you read it & can relate! for the romantics 🥹🥹

Expand full comment
Sarina Zoe's avatar

Ooo I love this. You’ve captured the tender, curious, journeying heart as it plays across simultaneous dimensions of the here and now, this is what I felt from your words 🤍

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

simultaneous dimensions - YES this is what i was hoping to capture!! i'm so happy this poem made you feel that <3 appreciate u always!!

Expand full comment
Sarina Zoe's avatar

💜💜

Expand full comment
Morgan Wrolstad's avatar

Love this with the internal thoughts and the picture of your notepad.

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

thanks Morgan!! I spent so many hours of the day serving, I figured I should have a go at writing poetry about it hehehe

Expand full comment
Stephen Ringo's avatar

love this! the ping ponging of thoughts and talk --- and pov!

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

hehehe thank you, Papa!! it was a fun thing to try and capture! the server brain always juggling 584759794329 things at once

Expand full comment
Always Already's avatar

Such a good display of a server’s double mind in serving.

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

I'm honoured to have been able to capture it <33

Expand full comment
petrichor's avatar

loving the internal monologue in this

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

thank you!! it was fun to try and capture how i feel at work on the daily hahah.. always the conversation with my tables as well as the internal conversation :P sometimes maybe even a secret third convo!!

Expand full comment
Ken LéMarchand's avatar

I was thinking the very same thing. Adds another layer to the setting.

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

I appreciate you so much, Ken! <33

Expand full comment
Angel ✰'s avatar

This is sooo good .

Expand full comment
sonja ringo's avatar

thank you so much, Angel! <33 means the world to me

Expand full comment