Squirrel In a Cage
by Bert Diamondstein
The grayish white clouds hang low over the land,
As the miles crawl by
Steering wheel tightly in hand.
The smell of wet asphalt permeates the air,
As the rain comes down in buckets
On the fast track to nowhere.
Thinking about the day to come,
Challenges, problems
And things to get done.
The car radio spouting the same old news
Loudly proclaiming the same old views.
Traffic is heavy, patience wearing thin,
Horns are blaring
As anxiety builds within.
I ... can't ... be ... late ... today
At long last the journey comes to an end,
Nerves slightly tattered but with a sigh of relief,
Having arrived on time there is no cause for grief.
... Yet
Walk to the office with a sure, firm stride
Hype yourself u, get ready for the day's tumultuous ride.
Check the e-mails, what's gone awry today,
Avoid this or that problem,
And be careful what you say.
Sharks ... are ... not ... just ... marine ... organisms
Break for lunch wit the same old guys,
Same old talk, same stained ties.
Poor Harry just died after 25 years
Yet no one was ready to shed a few tears.
Any ... one ... of ... us ... could ... be ... next
Afternoon comes and there's a meeting with the Boss,
Rumor has it he's more than a little cross.
Certain deadlines have been missed,
Not your fault,
But it looks like he's royally pissed.
At ... you
Late in the day a customer calls
Seems there was a problem with a shipment of balls
Delivery was late, sales were lost
Sounds like a damn good reason to go out and get sauced.
Later rather than sooner the ordeal is done,
Better get out of here before someone else has fun.
At ... your ... expense
Had those drinks until half past eight,
Just too bad you forgot about that luscious date,
With a reputation that imparted a certain fame,
The delightful Monica was her name.
Oh ... well
On the way home through the perils of night
He looks at himself in the rear view mirror taking fright,
Can that really be me with the face so blue?
You ... bet
The sad part was he didn't have a clue.
As ... to ... why
