Gabriel Szarzynski

This poem was based on a variety of interactions I had while working at Target with both coworkers and customers. One of the things that fascinates me about working in retail is the absurdity often buried beneath the mundane, and the variety of strange encounters I’ve had could fill an endless number of poems. Retail stores like Target are places of endless repetition and cyclical operation which is why the often-unexpected breaks from the norm are so noticeable. Whenever I see a coworker walking towards me wide eyed, I always know they have some fascinating story to share. In the same way that coworkers often gossip about the unbelievable things they experienced, this poem is a way to share my love for the eccentricities of the retail environment.

Each stanza within this poem represents a different encounter or moment in the store. I used annotated line breaks to highlight the absurdity of these moments. By juxtaposing simple verbs with surprising nouns between lines, I hoped to instill readers with a greater sense of surprise. The relatively short line length also contributes to the feeling of surprise by not allowing the reader to spend too much time on one line or image. The italicized dialogue in the third stanza is intentionally very neutral to help highlight the façade that workers must put on when dealing with unexpected situations.

Who is Morgan is a poem that explores the way retail spaces can define a person and force them to inhabit different roles. Regardless of where a person works or shops, we all experience the frustration of human interaction as both an employee and a consumer. I have experienced that frustration numerous times, and as someone working in a retail store, have had to endure the frustration of others. Corporations create these clearly defined roles to separate us and redirect our anger at one another. Why get mad at the store with the limited return policy or confusing sale exclusions when you could get mad at the customer who doesn’t understand them or the cashier trying to enforce them? This poem was made to combat that mentality and understand how we are more alike than not and how the retail space acts as a place of division.

I used the gender-neutral name of Morgan as well as they/them pronouns to show that the character of Morgan could be anyone. Throughout the poem, they inhabit multiple roles and the use of “they” also implies Morgan could be multiple people. The ending line is the only italicized dialogue in the poem and is the one thing that unifies different versions or roles of morgan. The emphasis on this single word line shows how we are unified in our frustration and anger, even if that anger is misplaced. Another important element of this poem is the imagery. Stores often try to overstimulate shoppers with tall shelves, vibrant signs, and bright indoor lighting. The variety of sensory details in the piece with words like “piñata” or “jungle” help mimic this feeling and make the store within the poem feel overwhelming.