From the womb it seems I birthed into a cocoon
Cant say I had known for sometime I was alive
Much learnt whilst unaware for almost four years
My memories say I'm one calendar says I'm five
Things that seemed important over sixty years ago
The latest shaped shoes or a top ten hit parade song
At fifteen peer pressure shaped how I would behave
Learning to discover where I would eventually belong
No manuals to assist a father raise three young children
Imparting to dependants the way I had been mentored
Dealing with an aggressive workplace, finances and self
At thirty overwhelmed, swearing in this poem is censored
A new century arrived grandfathering is such a blessing
Responsibilities of existence have largely been lightened
Now turned fifty still feeling some traces of distant youth
A positive outlook on life has recently become heightened
Having reached the age of seventy over eight years ago
As an alternative thinker there is a chance I am outcast
I am far removed from alignment with majority opinion
Rejecting thoughts postulating how much time I might last
Does your workplace have a ‘humor department’
You know, a group of hungry, semi-professional comedy writers
dedicated to the proposition that all employees have
an unalienable right to a hearty laugh at least
once every twenty minutes
A lot of employees have a lot of bones to pick with management
This one should be as unpickable as pickle-ball
Taught to be formal with handshake
Unique circumstances at the workplace
Turned us into allies and friends
One for all all for one we blend
Yes we both joined the union
Even went to worship had communion
Respect and love like family reunion
I heard women have ruined the workplace,
By showing what it means to lead with grace.
We still make far less money than men,
Yet have more sway with the sword and pen.
We ruined the meetings, made them an email,
We worked together to succeed, not fail.
Held men accountable for their actions,
Came here to work, not to be distractions.
We ruined inappropriate chatter,
Modeled respect - the heart of the matter.
We led with patience and confidence,
Showed that true leaders use evidence.
We ruined the workplace to include us.
Now when men react, they cannot make a fuss.
They have to treat us like we’re humans too -
The horror, the shock, the rumors were true.
We ruined the long-standing lack of empathy,
Replaced it with compassion and transparency.
We listened and mentored, made people feel heard,
A shift in the mindset - and progress occurred.
We ruined the toxic culture which isn’t fair,
Moving the needle for redemption and repair.
Call it destruction or a needed rebirth,
We ruined the workplace by knowing our worth.
Most I know sad but true
define themselves by the work they do
out of the workplace they're as simple
as a bump on a stump dimple on a pimple
drop in a bucket wart on a frog
cog in a wheel or log in a bog
who's to blame... yes parents are the means
for their inherited hopeless poor genes
none of my tutors were teachers as such
and with no innate abilities didn't know much
all of which which amounted to nought
and only regurgitated what they'd been taught
never met one who didn't know it all
when in fact they knew nothing at all
and if I were to look in a book I'd learn the same
but follow the leader ('herd' is the word)
was the name of their game
as for me...
who I am determines what I do
not vice versa end of story
but... how about you?
I’ve seen much
I didn’t tell
I was a fellow worker
Invisible within the mist
But the other romance half
That I couldn’t see
Was destined with opportunity
While the workplace
Had those that saw
A peck, A touch
The silly stuff
The other half
With residential quarters
Was serious stuff
With no one to tell
A long kiss
A touch, In as much
When workplace romance
Was a fantasy
Workplace Romance
Was to satisfy the thought
The silly stuff
But the other half
Didn’t need to plan
Well equipped
With opportunity at hand
The workplace romance
Came home with mental
Normality’s, and a smile
Was greeted with a peck
And “I love you”
“How was your day”
And a big smile!
They had their way!
I am A Night Owl
By: Noel N. Villarosa
June 4, 2022
Staring long at the laptop
My workplace is quiet
Active and mentally tip top
I am an owl that flies at night
Night sorting and engaging that way
Was a man deep in his thinking
Working with a good employer that will stay
Energy peaks naturally in the evening
With refreshed curious eyes
I cast my shadow on a resting morning lark
I took over his time taking calls on the rise
I make a living, if not in the dark
I am alone in my room
It’s just me and the moon
If I failed to bring you where flowers bloom
At the end of shift work, I’ll talk to you too soon
Everything is going right at night
It only takes a search, analysis, and brilliant call
The right approach will make me see the light
Finding matched criteria, I can relate them all
You are much like me, I guess
We have ups and downs
But would you pity more, or we say less
If there’s nothing to offer, I’ll see you around
I will watch you in the dark while dreams run
For the only place that fits my work
I work from home, closer to my loved ones
To feel the breeze reveals another dawn to spark
Also posted on my LinkedIn account.
They probably thought the elders would go quietly.
Everyone over fifty got a pink slip on the same week.
But one was not enough. We also received two emails.
And a registered letter, letting us know we were gone.
This would be our last month. We were terminated.
I attended a union meeting.
Exchanged phone numbers with two other seasoned women.
I filed a completed form with the EOE at midnight.
My boss was visited by two suits from headquarters at nine a.m.
I was outside, and I heard her say something.
One of them turned and looked at me.
Then he said “She looks so harmless and unassuming.”
I smirked. Glad I had gotten those phone numbers from those women.
To file with the EOE you have to have proof it is age discrimination.
Give them the email and phone number of two other sufferers.
I had outfoxed them; that was twelve years ago and I still work there.
Our boss employed a receptionist
Whose beauty we could not compare
Double D cups woke up the knights
As pheromones surged through the air
Her chair is usually empty
Excepting this handwritten note:
"I have just stepped out for the male"
Exactly as written I quote
Quote from Hugh Prather: "Most of the conversations I hear
are carried on as if there really were such a thing as an answer
and as if the people present were actually in possession of it."
Shouldn't we all adopt
some sort of "busy" pretext,
display fake fronts intended
to suggest determined aims
are being seriously pursued?
Wouldn't everyone believe
that we are "busy" people --
intent upon accomplishment
important to ourselves and others?
Isn't there some conflict between concepts
of "empowerment" and of "involvement" --
of "delegation" and of "taking ownership"
(directing, guiding -- dictating, really)?
Consider whether these are not
confusing opposites -- messages
easily regurgitated: mere facile
managerial sloganeering....
(Uncertainty, easily detected,
is usually condemned.)
Doesn't everyone read Dilbert?
And who remembers
"Ready....fire....aim!"
I’ve got much pressure when I entered the office
On my first day of work it’s really hard to please
To bring accord is part of my job depiction
Got to do this as part of team’s expectation
Colleagues have their own personal differences
Should cope so I’ll not be broken into pieces
How blessed I am to have such kind of officemates
I feel like I belong and one of the teammates
Thanks God for the love, peace strength, guidance and wisdom
Able to do my job as there’s no cause to boredom
Workplace harassment is rife, alive and well,
Occurring too often in this pseudo company.
Derogatory, condescending words roared, inches from your face,
Sounding like a battlesque symphony.
People in charge making foolish demands,
Then usurping workers places, employing visible stealth.
Not being productive, effective or profitable,
To any of the workers, or for the companies health.
Forcing workers to feel small, inadequate, not bright,
Forcing workers to accept their lot in life.
And, to any workers who bring up any questions,
Publicly back stabbing them, with a knife.
Workplace harassment in this office, it’s cruel and demeaning,
To the folks just plying their trade.
It’s easy to see the bullies in charge, strutting around,
Ready, waiting, clasping a shiny switchblade.
There were meadows free to the far,
Clean, green and quiet calm.
Pebbles and stones, scattered,
As in the blue sky’s stars’ view.
On a remote-side grew wild thorns high,
Played the bees and b‘flies and I;
And the good dog passing by had watched us
On his hurried walk
From an afar village
To the distant one.
By the broken-burnt mulberry,
Lone, half erect and half down,
Goats grazed with caws and sheep
And the old herdsman with his tiffin and cane,
Called, cried, whistled and ran.
It's a celebration of life,
It's a celebration of self,
An inner spirit and style,
expressed thru blazes of color.
Daring to be an original,
in a gallery of the commonplace.
I shivered, and dreaded her face
As she put me in a test every morning
I can never please her
Her way or no way!
This thing called EVALUATION
Is so subjective
It can’t be objective
When one is prejudiced.
But, how many ways can you peel a banana?
Or, how many ways can you dress a chicken?
How many ways can you put coffee in your cup?
Or, how many ways can you style your hair?
I catapulted to a higher ground
Aha! I am on top of everything!
KUDOS TO MYSELF!
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