Little men inside the refrigerator

I used to think there were little men inside the refrigerator
whose only job it was to turn the light on and off as needed.
They would work day and night through the cold
so that I could see the milk sitting next to the butter.

They were shy little people, never ones to talk
they would stick to themselves and their friends the milk and the butter.
I thought that if I opened the door quick enough I would finally see them.
I never did.

I thought maybe they knew the guys who made the cereal and cookies
and that they would all get together during holidays and eat our leftovers.
The leftovers never disappeared while no one was looking,
however, my father would occasionally claim they did.

I imagine them sitting there next to the milk and the butter
in their fuzzy eskimo coats, their fingers kept warm by tiny little gloves,
sipping at an already opened juice box talking about the cans of diet soda
and planning their next disappearing act.

You can imagine my disappointment when I finally realized they didn’t exist--
that the light turns off and on like normal lights do.
And while playing with the refrigerator switch was fun for awhile,
the milk and the butter soon became lonely

there were no little refrigerator people to keep them company.
There were only little people on highways, in cubicles,
talking on the phone, eating in chinese restaurants, watching television,
laughing, playing, praying, loving and drinking coffee.

-Caleb Williams