poem of the day 10.21.14

unintended pleasures of signing off

using an automated time keeping system

just sit back and watch the time click

it’s easier this way if you don’t resist

or think that now you’ve become some clockwatching

product of the american work force

reject personal autonomy until your shift is over

take comfort in the fact that millions of us

are doing this all over the great nation

maybe even the world

think of these quiet moments

as a chance to take stock of your day

plan tomorrow or negotiate the evening

play another round of solitaire as you ALT TAB these blues

remember something you might have forgotten on your grocery list

a birthday that has slipped your mind

a red-letter date in american history that needs celebrating

contemplate the vodka and cans of beer left in your fridge

because you may need all hands on deck tonight

wink at the security camera bearing down on you

give them a smile and a thumbs up

do not look at the computer screen too intently

you’ll find that time has gotten you nowhere

and that the radio is still playing the same bad song

as when you set out on this endeavor

imagine the sick day you’ll take

when the office is short staffed

or if you do look

wow in the corporate color scheme of the web page

only in your head you are looking at picasso and matisse

imagine that it’s a countdown to lift-off or a great voyage

outer space or around the world in as many days

the first of your ilk going where no man/woman/child

has gone before

because you are a pioneer and you know it

not some sad piece of excrement sitting on the edge of your chair

with your coat and your bag in your hands

tupperware from another unsatisfying lunch resting on your lap

a hat on your head and your legs shaking with anticipatory angst

watching second after second after nauseating second tick by

you are neil armstrong, buzz aldrin, columbus

megellan, vasco de gama, lewis and clark

and robert falcon scott all rolled into one

think of the unintended pleasures of signing off

using an automated time keeping system

instead of the bitter taste of a life wasted

cherish these moments of solitude and personal reflection

remember them for future reference

when the walls of this life start closing in again.