so red
she was nearing the red sunset of retirement
imagine sails with strange acronyms embroidered: ZAA ZAB ZAC ZAD ZAE ZAF
the Z-boats ran through the occluded rivers of her brain
the bathed in a reddish glow
the embers glowed brighter and brighter and hotter than the flame
torturous and red
redder
she became more like the cartons of winstons red car red radio
she grew closer to the sunset until the heat started to singe her hair
ZAG ZAH ZAI ZAJ ZAK ZAL
these Z-boats were printed on thousands of computer punch cards
she sang to the muzak station on her red radio: "red sails in the sunset"
voice creaking like the boards of an antique fishing boat
as she processed each Z-boat smoke floated over her desk
the fleet was starting to burn brighter
as she reached the bottom of the deck of cards one boat was left: ZZZ
tail end
she took a big red pencil and checked it off
she caught fire
her career was over