Pain Office

Hushed “I know I knows” every corner this odd cornered office, hushed “How are yous” something wrong with everyone else but me, I insensitive? Am I the only one who knows not what ails the others’ pets? because that’s, I realize, happening in all corners all at once every coworker’s desperate pet dying dog, cat in chemo, steroid round and steroid round I want to say “I have cats too” but pain is everywhere so immense I felt the organization collapsing thought I would lose my job but no it’s every single person’s pet it’s everyone’s told one other person and none me