[Intro]
Main queue count: three.
Almost done, I grin.
Nina says, "Other tab."
So much for done.

[Verse 1]
Late afternoon, two cleared,
one back for notes.
My nearly empty task list
smirks beside my coat.
Cold lunch, blue pings,
numbers dropping one by one.
Tidy board, tidy screen.
Nina turns the laptop:
"Not all we do."

[Chorus]
Queue behind the queue.
Clean board. Bad math.
Separate verification channel
not on the board.
Late requests at publish time
tap, tap, push through.
Main queue: zero.
Still the queue behind the queue.

[Verse 2]
First: quotes need checks.
Second: figures need review.
Third: claims changed at four-oh-eight.
Fourth: captions overdue.
"That's the triage order,"
Nina says, "unless legal calls."
I look again: "How many since ten?"
Requests stack in side replies;
one late request blinks:
"Can this still go?"

[Chorus]
Queue behind the queue.
Clean board. Bad math.
Separate verification channel
not on the board.
Late requests at publish time
tap, tap, push through.
Main queue: zero.
Still the queue behind the queue.

[Break]

[Verse 3]
I drag my chair beside her,
not noble, not amused.
"Send quotes. Send numbers.
Keep escalations queued."
We split by risk and clock;
red pen dents the page.
She flags source gaps;
I chase the checks I can close.
I hate the extra work,
unnamed but sitting there.
Still, real work takes real time
even off the board.

[Chorus]
Queue behind the queue.
(QUEUE)
Clean board. Bad math.
(COUNT IT)
Separate verification channel.
(COUNT IT)
Work off the board.
Late at publish time,
(TOO LATE)
tap, tap, push through.
Main queue: zero.
(NOT DONE)
Still the queue behind the queue.

Queue behind the queue.
(QUEUE)
Don't sell me "nearly clear."
Don't call the board complete
while Nina's stack is here.
I can grumble. I can help you.
(BOTH THINGS)
Put the next one in my view.
I'll count it from this chair:
queue behind the queue.

[Outro]
Main queue count: zero.
Nina gets another message.
I say, "Send me one."
Fine.
Send me one.

[End]