Tuesday, October 21, 2014

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.

                                                                       

No comments:

Post a Comment