Paradise

Paradise
By Yours Truly
______________

The smell of old coffee and burnt toast

Drifts over the desks of those fully engrossed

In their mindless work and keyboard clacks

Shoulders hunched and eternal curved backs.

The humming and hawing of the Xerox machine

Reminds us all how we’re not really that “green”.

It jams and mysterious errors blink and blare

Onlookers give repetitive advice and mean stares.

The supply cabinet looks like a hoarder’s dreams

Of old floppy discs and paper reams

Back in the depths is where the coveted pens hide

Surrounded by cast away markers, old and dried.

Poisonous words float from the chatty Kathy’s

Distracting and gathering a sea of khakis

The gossip train has left the station

And spreads the news at each cubicle location.

Have a meeting to plan more meetings

Filled with enthusiastic words and greetings

Synergy, leadership, and win- win

Drowning in the meaningless motivational din.

And just like a broken record player

The office grump and naysayer

Says with a sharp and wry slice,

“Just another day in paradise”.