The Halves and Half-Nots

[David Nelson Bradsher]

The suits are suited, rallying the troops
with power-point displays at Monday’s meeting,
explaining how a five-year fiscal “oops”
resulted in last week’s employee bleeding.

The room, half-full, was packed a week ago
when he appeared with earnest reverence,
and then on Friday glumly showed to show
employees to the door with severance;

but here today survivors line the room,
nodding and smiling with a false enjoyment,
as he holds court within the conference tomb
and Friday's cut-backs file for unemployment.

[Marion Poirier]

I really enjoyed this poem, David. I've seen this
happen so many times to those in my own family-
never happened to me, as I opted for civil service-
but so many can relate. Since I'm no expert in R&M
can't offer any intelligent suggestions, but IMO,
you don't need any. Great job with this one, as always.

Marion

[mfwilkie]

David,

Missed not finding one of these combos in the last stanza.

'suits are suited', 'showed to show'



but here today survivors line the room,
nodding and smiling with a false enjoyment
and /s] as he holds court within the conference tomb
as and Friday's cut-backs file for unemployment.

[Jonathan Morey Weiss-Namaste47]

Hi David.......I also enjoyed the poem, (but not its implications of course.)

I wonder if you can alter the trochaic opening in S3L2...to
"concurring with their smiles and false enjoyment..."

the reverence-severance connection played well.

[David Nelson Bradsher]

Thanks, guys.

Marion, I appreciate it. My girlfriend's employer is in the midst of massive layoffs, yet the fearless leader is still pulling down his million dollar salary.

Mags, good suggestion on the last stanza, and I like your thought of having a repeated wordplay for the last stanza, too.

Jonathan, thank you. I've been playing a bit with substitutions, and I think I do like the trochaic bit there for its physicality. It seems to lend something tangible to the movement. I do appreciate your suggestion, though, and your suggestion would certainly work well there.