Food Service Epic: Theme and Invocation to Muse

For one of my classes this semester I have to write parts of an epic. I chose to do it about food service and in the case of this specific poem I am using the dining hall, Braiden, on the Colorado State University campus as a reference as this is where I currently work and have worked for the past for years. This is the first part.

Theme and Invocation to the Muse

10/29/2014

Thoughtlessness—that envelops all who come, within

The hallowed halls of bounty we begin.

Incompetence from visitors amuses

The God to whom we drink our nightly booze.

The God to which we sacrifice to make

Better our place of worship—thus we take

Our spoils to the dish room God who hates

The mindless actions of the newcomer late

To his first shift. Our God, we sing to change

Thoughtless newcomer—strong and tall and brave.

In second year the newbie starts to work

Believing that it’s nothing hard, a smirk

Adorns his face. A job in food service

Is not too hard. But as a freshie curses

Were flung his way. He cannot see what he

Had done to workers who worked hard like me.

To dish room God I sing, to teach this boy

What hardship means. Naivety destroy.