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47,474 poems read
“The Box”
She could feel
the changes coming
the ruling class
at work
no longer returning
her smiles
treating her like
a leper
whenever she
tried to stand
close by
or get personal
with them,
her once
stand up manager
has taken a
seat
quietly looking
the other way
as they twist
and crunch
her performance
numbers
till they come
out
with the desired
data
that will hurt
her the most
any column of
figures
can be turned
on end
and made to
support a
bias fact
not much tricky
is needed,
she’s thirty one
now
two years ago
she was their
fresh perspective
the hard working
girl
with the new
ideas
that they all
wanted working
on their teams,
she gave him
a little wave
and a sad
smile
unable to pull
up the corners
of her mouth
any further
feeling embarrassed
for being the
reason
for his change
of face
sorry that she
had stolen his
laughter
it having been
replaced
with sheer annoyance
at getting stuck
having to share
with her
the same common
ground,
she knew
he was wanting
to put distance
between her
and any personal
connection
they once had
it helps to
cut down on
the amount of
shame
one has to
try and bury
after the fact
bringing their
drink total
after work
down from five
to three,
only a year
ago past
when he was
wavering
and on his
way down
brand new to
a position
where no one
thought he would
last
she was covering
his back
as the others
started calling out
dibs
on what they
wanted from his
desk
a heavy duty
stapler
with a box
and a half
of staples
and a Mickey
Mouse
mouse pad
were the first
to get claimed,
she wonders what
kind of a
lie
their all going
to get behind
as she makes
an attempt
at conversation
asking about his
weekend
and how it
was spent
but the pain
of having to
talk to her
is more than
evident
even as he
tries to hide
it behind
the fake smile
he has stretched
across
his other face,
she can’t concentrate
on a single
word
he is saying
to her
the language
of his body
and robotic
tone
of his voice
making it clear
in her mind
the end is
coming up fast
“a reorganization
of company
resources”
is their favorite
go to quote,
she lowers her
head
and goes back
to working
completely beat down
by the one
manager
she had respected
the most
and from the
very start of
his tenure,
her loyalty betrayed
crushing her heart
in a way that
her break-up
with her boyfriend
didn’t come close
to doing,
the amount of
damage
he was inflicting
on her
by hiding behind
a veil of
imitation emotions
was brutal
at least her
boyfriend
said what he
had to
to her face
the vile little
rat
that he was,
she grabs a
cardboard box
at lunch
from a storeroom
closet
and stashes it
under her desk
waiting for that
call
that normally comes
an hour before
the front office
closes
the appointed time
when these things
were usually done
she tries to
keep herself busy
her mind
in the game
for as long
as she is a
active player,
then the phone
on her desk
rings
sounding more
like a final
buzzer
asking if she
has a minute
and could drop
by H.R.
she left her
cardboard box
which is now
full
around the corner
of the H.R.
office
opened the door
to find her
manager
sitting behind
two more of
his kind
she’s somewhat
relived
to be at
this point
always preferring
to face a
problem
head on
than dance around
it
she looks for
traces of guilt
in their faces
but all three
are well practiced
at making themselves
believe
they are speaking
the truth,
for the good
of the company
they have to
make these tough
decisions
they say
no longer in
need of her
services
their not laying
her off
but offering her
an opportunity
to grow
allowing her to
spread her wings
at another competing
firm,
she doesn’t say
much
just waiting for
this well-rehearsed
play
to begin it’s
final act
she signs a
few papers
is given a
thick
medical benefits
packet
with multiple choices
no one can
afford to enact,
she pauses after
opening the H.R.
door
as she was
leaving
looks back at
her once favorite
and trusted manager
and in a
calm
quiet voice
says to him
“you’ve really changed
since I’ve first
known you,
I’ll let you
figure out
if it was
for the better”
she closes the
door
behind her
their chaotic
conversation
immediately starts
all three trying
to talk
at the same
time
about the dragon
they had just
slayed
all before her
hand
even had a
chance
to release the
knob,
she drops her
heavy packet
of useless information
into the nearest
trash can
picks up her
cardboard box
and gets herself
ready
to begin
all over again
as she steps
out
into the rain
hoping it will
wash this filthy
feeling she has
off of her…
Tom Allen…12-15-2018…
She could feel
the changes coming
the ruling class
at work
no longer returning
her smiles
treating her like
a leper
whenever she
tried to stand
close by
or get personal
with them,
her once
stand up manager
has taken a
seat
quietly looking
the other way
as they twist
and crunch
her performance
numbers
till they come
out
with the desired
data
that will hurt
her the most
any column of
figures
can be turned
on end
and made to
support a
bias fact
not much tricky
is needed,
she’s thirty one
now
two years ago
she was their
fresh perspective
the hard working
girl
with the new
ideas
that they all
wanted working
on their teams,
she gave him
a little wave
and a sad
smile
unable to pull
up the corners
of her mouth
any further
feeling embarrassed
for being the
reason
for his change
of face
sorry that she
had stolen his
laughter
it having been
replaced
with sheer annoyance
at getting stuck
having to share
with her
the same common
ground,
she knew
he was wanting
to put distance
between her
and any personal
connection
they once had
it helps to
cut down on
the amount of
shame
one has to
try and bury
after the fact
bringing their
drink total
after work
down from five
to three,
only a year
ago past
when he was
wavering
and on his
way down
brand new to
a position
where no one
thought he would
last
she was covering
his back
as the others
started calling out
dibs
on what they
wanted from his
desk
a heavy duty
stapler
with a box
and a half
of staples
and a Mickey
Mouse
mouse pad
were the first
to get claimed,
she wonders what
kind of a
lie
their all going
to get behind
as she makes
an attempt
at conversation
asking about his
weekend
and how it
was spent
but the pain
of having to
talk to her
is more than
evident
even as he
tries to hide
it behind
the fake smile
he has stretched
across
his other face,
she can’t concentrate
on a single
word
he is saying
to her
the language
of his body
and robotic
tone
of his voice
making it clear
in her mind
the end is
coming up fast
“a reorganization
of company
resources”
is their favorite
go to quote,
she lowers her
head
and goes back
to working
completely beat down
by the one
manager
she had respected
the most
and from the
very start of
his tenure,
her loyalty betrayed
crushing her heart
in a way that
her break-up
with her boyfriend
didn’t come close
to doing,
the amount of
damage
he was inflicting
on her
by hiding behind
a veil of
imitation emotions
was brutal
at least her
boyfriend
said what he
had to
to her face
the vile little
rat
that he was,
she grabs a
cardboard box
at lunch
from a storeroom
closet
and stashes it
under her desk
waiting for that
call
that normally comes
an hour before
the front office
closes
the appointed time
when these things
were usually done
she tries to
keep herself busy
her mind
in the game
for as long
as she is a
active player,
then the phone
on her desk
rings
sounding more
like a final
buzzer
asking if she
has a minute
and could drop
by H.R.
she left her
cardboard box
which is now
full
around the corner
of the H.R.
office
opened the door
to find her
manager
sitting behind
two more of
his kind
she’s somewhat
relived
to be at
this point
always preferring
to face a
problem
head on
than dance around
it
she looks for
traces of guilt
in their faces
but all three
are well practiced
at making themselves
believe
they are speaking
the truth,
for the good
of the company
they have to
make these tough
decisions
they say
no longer in
need of her
services
their not laying
her off
but offering her
an opportunity
to grow
allowing her to
spread her wings
at another competing
firm,
she doesn’t say
much
just waiting for
this well-rehearsed
play
to begin it’s
final act
she signs a
few papers
is given a
thick
medical benefits
packet
with multiple choices
no one can
afford to enact,
she pauses after
opening the H.R.
door
as she was
leaving
looks back at
her once favorite
and trusted manager
and in a
calm
quiet voice
says to him
“you’ve really changed
since I’ve first
known you,
I’ll let you
figure out
if it was
for the better”
she closes the
door
behind her
their chaotic
conversation
immediately starts
all three trying
to talk
at the same
time
about the dragon
they had just
slayed
all before her
hand
even had a
chance
to release the
knob,
she drops her
heavy packet
of useless information
into the nearest
trash can
picks up her
cardboard box
and gets herself
ready
to begin
all over again
as she steps
out
into the rain
hoping it will
wash this filthy
feeling she has
off of her…
Tom Allen…12-15-2018…