Amperage, or, Why We Had To Let You Go
It’s not only that
you’re not working out or
there are questions about your performance in group and your issues with authority,
or that your life could really use some clarity.
But, see, it's like this: you tipped your hand
too soon and let us know
you are not happy
here with us
you have no joy
and too many others
played their hands
close to the vest
and
just
left.
So, really, it's a business decision, you see: our attrition rate
is too high and our VP is threatening some involuntary attrition on us.
And, so, we had to
beat you
to the draw
before you could finish this cycle of trauma and death and birth
before you could make more friends here
we had to
fire you
before
you
could
quit.
It’s not that
you needed this job so much
but, we found out
you did -- here, have a tissue--
and, therefore, you understand, we had to take it away from you
before
you could find something else.
We know you want to be home
with your poetry
with your puppies
and your power tools
and your welding machine.
It's just that
you seem to be quite a poet
and we are
afraid of you
because we know how much hay a poet can make with places like this
and people like us.
We want you to be home, too.
We need no poets here, plowing in these parched fields of the corporate mind
We have our soul-speak
and you have your heart-break
and so
you
will please
sign here -- no?
Leave your badge and keys
and we will walk you out
into your poetry and amps
and whatever comes next.
As for us
We'll keep stomping about, welding our cold steel processes
onto this veil of love covering
the thin places between heaven and earth.
Image is from this web site, accessed 11/17/09
