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Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

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Frances Presley

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At Work

there was a real danger that the alignment
the alignment of bottles
of bottles in a box
a box would take over her alignment
would fight anyone who disturbed

some were real treasures and called Mary

sometimes they could not stop laughing
especially in summer when production slowed and other
                                                 more labour intensive
tasks were found

some middle class girls were considered too thin for the
                                                                heavy work

there were those who deliberately vandalised the product
so that it would be recalled and the production line stopped
                                                                for a few days

many of them suffered from labelling lip

sometimes she was allowed to make a list of historical sauces

they all knew about the porter's ghost in the archive
and there was some choice when it came to the style of overall

there were too many trainees because they cost less
some got married and fell ill
some of them thought they could survive as teachers

sometimes they said that she didn't look like a bottle packer

this camaraderie would soon be replaced by shoulder pads

there would never be such intelligent workers again
and the bottles would be replaced by plastic sachets

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