Fetid stream of
Derogatory remarks,
One foul mouth
Maligning many.
Sullied brain,
Inculcated intolerance,
Grafted onto psyche,
Unbreakable permanent bond.
Legions sympathetic,
Howling viscerally,
Defending the untenable,
Scant of reason.
A rabble roused,
Self-perpetuating,
Clamoring for more
Gratuitous carnage.
Show me how much I matter.
Limit my ability to keep the
Lights on in my home, pay the
Rent. Encourage me to work long
Hours and celebrate holidays on the job.
Tick tock, doesn’t matter when
You’re on the clock. Keep my
Hours below the magic line.
I’m disorganized, overwhelmed, docile.
Tell me that I’m on my own when I fall ill,
Talk up the local public clinic. My new
Stamp collection will keep me and
My children floating in cheese and milk.
Cursed freeloaders impeding the
Extra wing of the seventh mansion,
Four-hundredth shoe. Vacation time forfeited,
You never know who’s in the wings ready to
Take your place.
I hear Saint-Tropez is beautiful this time of year.
Row after row of
Rattling machines,
She sits alone
Surrounded by many
Others just like her,
No talking permitted,
Mind-numbing repetition
Wearing down her
Brain – hands – dignity,
Cacophonous clattering
Claiming her hearing.
Day in, day out,
Dawn to dusk,
Under constant scrutiny,
Quality control,
Not quality of life.
A continent away,
A woman in an upscale store
Chatters happily
About her purchase.
He was dissatisfied with his life and
Let everyone know about it.
A pummeling stream of invectives and
Vituperation aimed at anything or
Anyone in the vicinity.
Relentless exasperation and acrimony.
Dumping a full can of summer garbage on
Anyone unfortunate enough to inquire about
His day. A steady slow-motion fall onto
A mattress of rocks and glass shards.
Of all the things
He could be doing,
He chooses the one
That hurts people.
Unfeeling,
Driven only by an
Unconscious need
For supremacy.
No joy around here,
Only hardness and pain,
Violence and horror,
Absence of light.
Fealty to shareholders.
Soap bar downsized —
Toilet paper smaller —
Every product and
Container carefully
Engineered to extract
Maximum profit from
Struggling saps.
Food escalating,
Power bills astronomical,
Wireless service exorbitant,
Internet prohibitive,
Gasoline extreme.
Extortion at every turn,
Consumers at the mercy of
Soulless marketers,
Profit-churning monsters.
You told me not to quit my day job
When I sang a song. You told me
Not to quit my day job when I told a
Silly joke. You told me not to quit my
Day job when I started writing a book.
I decided to quit my day job, where
Does that leave you?
Optimistically thinking
They were seeing the world
From her vantage point.
Belatedly realizing that
Empathy is a skill
Not everyone possesses.
An insight that
Brings with it both
Relief and sadness.
I saw her on a bus travelling down
A busy thoroughfare, on the way to
A bustling downtown. Our eyes met and
We exchanged a smile. She stood up,
Brushed a strand of auburn hair off her face,
Rang the bell, and got off at the next stop.
As the bus drove away our eyes met again.
My mind in turmoil, I hastily approached
The bus driver and asked to be let off
Between stops. I’m sorry sir, that’s against
The rules, he said deadpan, staring straight ahead.
The next stop too far away.
Don’t agree with the rules?
Tough.
Don’t like the hours?
Deal with it.
Low pay?
Nobody’s telling you to stay.
No time off?
Work waits for no one.
No benefits?
That’s not our problem.
No bargaining rights?
There’s plenty of people
Who would be happy
To have your job.
Any questions?