Well, I got me some pictures taken, lookin' grim as can be
You might think I've got myself a toothache or worse
Then I printed off some forms and got some photocopies made
Had 'em all signed up nice and purdy, like they said,
Made 'em all official, real important.
So today I put a bunch of pricey fuel into my car
Buck-twenty a shot, and that's fer regular, nothin' fancy
Drove on down the freeway, found a spot in some mall
Parking lot, then strolled down to the gover'ment
Office for such things.
The front of the building looked like there was some kinda strike
All those people standin', till I saw they were in line
So I turned the corner, went 'round the side, down the lane
But there were still folks in a row, snakin' to the corner and
Back behind that turn, even more.
So I got in behind 'em, pulled the hood up on my coat,
Opened up my book, tried to read, well as I could out in the
Rain. Stood fer an hour and a half 'n more, movin' nearly
To the corner -- back corner -- not quite the side lane yet
When out comes this guy, 'Commissionaire'.
He brags to us how this is the best of all the passport places
All across the land, how folks fly in from Calg'ry, even Winnipeg
To see just how this office gets 'em through so speedy, so efficient.
Airfare out to YVR, well worth it get so they claim, but us?
Well, we're not gettin' anyplace today.
So now I'm thinkin' I should maybe get my camping gear
Outta the shed. Set out in darkest midnight, bring a cookstove,
Sleeping bag. Get there before sunrise with those other folks
In line, the ones who got themselves into that old gover'ment
Passport office, quick, while it was still this afternoon.
You might think I've got myself a toothache or worse
Then I printed off some forms and got some photocopies made
Had 'em all signed up nice and purdy, like they said,
Made 'em all official, real important.
So today I put a bunch of pricey fuel into my car
Buck-twenty a shot, and that's fer regular, nothin' fancy
Drove on down the freeway, found a spot in some mall
Parking lot, then strolled down to the gover'ment
Office for such things.
The front of the building looked like there was some kinda strike
All those people standin', till I saw they were in line
So I turned the corner, went 'round the side, down the lane
But there were still folks in a row, snakin' to the corner and
Back behind that turn, even more.
So I got in behind 'em, pulled the hood up on my coat,
Opened up my book, tried to read, well as I could out in the
Rain. Stood fer an hour and a half 'n more, movin' nearly
To the corner -- back corner -- not quite the side lane yet
When out comes this guy, 'Commissionaire'.
He brags to us how this is the best of all the passport places
All across the land, how folks fly in from Calg'ry, even Winnipeg
To see just how this office gets 'em through so speedy, so efficient.
Airfare out to YVR, well worth it get so they claim, but us?
Well, we're not gettin' anyplace today.
So now I'm thinkin' I should maybe get my camping gear
Outta the shed. Set out in darkest midnight, bring a cookstove,
Sleeping bag. Get there before sunrise with those other folks
In line, the ones who got themselves into that old gover'ment
Passport office, quick, while it was still this afternoon.
3 comments:
Hope you got your passport in the end. This line-up all day ritual sounds like a new kind of torture.
You're not kidding about the all day part.
Yes, I did eventually get my passport -- or at least the application submitted. It took a full six hours of standing in the rain, this time at the Surrey office. Luckily, I was in company of a 'pod' of about ten very nice people, three of whom were making their second go at standing in line to renew their passports. Good thing we're all so darn polite, and not a nation of gun-toters!
Aspects of Gustave Caillebotte from a different view.
Post a Comment