The acronyms pile up, leavened
by jargon, words that tumble
and choke from mouths if not
minds, words meant to impress
or intimidate or prevail because
it’s all a competition, isn’t it?
Isn’t it. The words shroud
the value of the work, hiding
what matters, the urgent always
overwhelming the important.
We flash them on screens,
generated from decks which
used to be what we called the floors
of boats or a collection of cards
for a game of chance and luck,
not a collection of slides designed
to explain or convince or illumine.
I imagine Lincoln saying it is
management of the talent,
by the talent, for the talent and
it sticks in the ear as more
than slightly ridiculous. We
reap our harvest of words,
the weeds and the tares mixed in,
unseparated and undigested.
Our bellies remain empty.
This poem is submitted to Open Link Night at dVerse Poets. The see more poems, please visit dVerse Poets. The links will be live at 2 p.m. Central time today.
Photograph: Business Word by Anna Cervova via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.
16 comments:
Powerful!
I can relate so much to this. If you replace the "i" with a "y" you get the truth of business- "busyness." Everyone is busy- and instead of improving the product and reducing the consumer price, it's all about perfecting the people... I think if you and I worked in the same office- we'd get in trouble : )
the weeds and the tares mixed in...
ah yes, and there's the rub.
(Not to mess with your words Glynn... but "decks which used to 'be'?) =)
This could be a kind of rallying poem for #OWS.
nice...felt...some days the words are good, some days they are not but much like the farmer that feeds many, we often go hungry...
Totally true--sometimes the sense of falseness *everywhere* is almost overwhelming. Perfect use of the Lincoln reference, and excellent close.
So many words we use in so little time to think them over...hmmmmm.
oh the acronyms sure do pile up and full words tend to go out the window, some times that's good, but others not so much, great look at it.
A beautiful poem, Glynn.
Very nice... feel the angst in this piece... and recognize the "urgent always overwhelming the important". We reap our harvest of words...empty bellies... Powerful message here.
hi Glynn...
Enjoyed it a lot .. and the feelings it evoked... thanks for sharing...
Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/11/whispers-tears-in-rain.html
This echoes my feelings on business in general. It ranks almost equal to politics. Wait. Are they twins?
Empty words everywhere, but a feast of them from you, seasoned just right to insure thought and consideration. Well done as always.
Even well-written poetry seems to leave the belly empty. Which is why so many poets teach! Sigh...
very powerful.
deep, well presented sentiments.
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