His problem, and occasional
downfall, is that he loves his
work too much; doesn’t make
it his god, exactly, though there
are times, but that he truly
loves the work, the challenge,
the problem, the puzzling
through, the making it happen
and the starting again. He knows
they take advantage of that
because they always do and
he knows neither he nor they
know how to do anything less.To read other poems submitted for One Shot Wednesday, please visit One Stop Poetry.
Photograph: Turning Dandy by Nancy Rosback. Used with permission.
You wrote this with "he" but I recognize it so well.
ReplyDeleteWell-done!
Nicely done, Glynn.
ReplyDeleteI feel this right now.
i like this.
ReplyDeleteand i can bet my boots
(because they are worn out, i wouldn't bet on new ones, just so ya know...) that there are some folks that can realte to this.
and i like how it ends.
no blame, just saying how he and they are...like an opening a door.
I hope someday to have a book of poems written by you ...
ReplyDeletei used to be stuck in that race...and it was a beast...it was our nature. nice one shot...and did i hear right it is your birthday? if so i hope you have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteI ran from that race (well the nervous breakdown and subsequent conditions helped) Nice One Shot. Love and Light, Sender
ReplyDeleteFilled with irony...the perfect marriage in a way, eh?
ReplyDeleteAlways find your lines witty with impact. In this case there is a sadness that could be taken as futility, though I suspect that race wears many down and destroys spirits. On a better note, Happy Birthday! (if that's the case. lol)
ReplyDeleteA sweet little birdie told me that today is your birthday. So, although I want to tell you how much I love your poetry - I thought I'd wish you a Happy Birthday instead. Have a joyful day Glynn.
ReplyDeleteI think we've all been there. What a shame many people these days can't do the job they love AND be appreciated for it.
ReplyDeleteI hear it's your birthday - Happy Birthday!
Finding the balance between the love of work (or hobby) is a worthwhile and delicate application. I'm constantly having to check my love "weights" to ensure they're not lingering too far in one direction and knocking the whole scale precariously to one side. Ahem. Writing can be that for me. I love your work here. Finally, someone and a place of poetry.
ReplyDeleteInteresting...It is only self understanding that gives the balance life needs.
ReplyDeleteI know this place well and you have penned it excellently!
ReplyDeleteFor whatever reason many of us have "parked" there for a time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for parking this at One Shot
and Happy B-Day my friend
Moon B-Day hugs
Heard it was your birthday so had to come back and wish you a most blessed one and year to come ...
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think almost of a love/hate relationship with the job. Always that good/bad mix that drives us crazy and perfectly expressed here.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to the push/pull. Excellent capture, I love how eloquently it's written.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Happy Birthday??? :-)
Hmmm.... so... it's your B-day!
ReplyDeletehappy Birthday
And nice one-shot.
hope you take many more shots.
your shots are so inspiring.
Happy birthday and it is good to love your job..not to be taken advantage of but to truly love ones work is really a blessing...bkm
ReplyDeleteMust be gratifying and a blessing to be able to live your life doing what makes you happy. I think everyone should strive for that; unfortunately responsibilities demand to be met and not everyone has that luxury. Congratulations to you! Thanks, Gay
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely so well done...sometimes the heart placed so deeply within work, it may not feel so much like work...it becomes who we are...nicely done
ReplyDeleteLoving your job TOO much?
ReplyDeleteIs that possible?
Really liked the tone of this one. Steady and inevitable, like what it is talking about.
ReplyDeleteThink most of us have been in that place! And happy birthday to you!
ReplyDelete"...know how to do anything less." very well done!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for your comment, it is so.
this reads very nicely... and speaks volumes beyond its lines.
ReplyDeleteIt is the tendancy of business to exploit workers who fully invest themselves in their work. Indeed, some do not know how to do anything less. Well written!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah!
ReplyDeleteOh I like it! Felt like you were talking to me.. Were you? Reads like this make my morning.
ReplyDeleteExcellent piece,
J.
Young as I am, even I know this feeling well. Oh, the race...but c'est la vie. It's good to love your job, but not be be consumed by it!
ReplyDeleteGreat One Shot!
I am getting taken advantage of right now! But in a strange way, like your poem suggest, I kind of like it!
ReplyDeletegood one.. i could relate :) to that work part for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy One Shot
We are possession rich and time poor...makes you wonder why we all in the 70's stopped asking our employees for more pay rather then less time at work! Thanks for dropping by. My poem is here. Hope your week goes well.
ReplyDeletei love this poem - so short and so plain - and such a lot of content
ReplyDeletei love my work as well - and there are times i get lost in my work and i invest way too much. those are the times when my boss says: you should finish now - remember, you have a family waiting for you.. isn't it great to have a boss like this?
i'm so thankful!
Glynn, this speaks to me of what some call God in Action; I think of it as creative passion - those moments when we are so focused and swimming in the work we love to do - whatever that is, be it writing, art, physical work, people work - whatever - we lose ourselves in the flow and it feels so natural and so good - that's when we are God, I think; that's when God is us. Learning through us; growing through our experience and devotion to that which makes us feel alive.
ReplyDeleteYour poem reflected that so beautifully in the last line: neither he nor they know how to do anything less. I love your work and will add your blog to my blogroll. Thank you so much.
I loved it too, just like you said (about the work...), still can get lost in certain aspects of it even though I'm no longer in the ratrace of it.
ReplyDeleteAs for your poem, yeah, I love that too - one to remember and reread.
The resignation felt sad and complete...
ReplyDeleteOne day i used to be in HIS shoes,a workaholic..sinking in my researches..now i decided to slow down..so relate to it..:)
ReplyDeleteNice creation of character and comment. I love how it ends. More empathetic than judgmental. And without becoming preachy. Solid. - bill
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, I fall prey to this more than I'd like to admit. Nicely done, poet man.
ReplyDeleteA very fine line presented here...neither side wishes to cross or change, but a work idol will never balance on life's wire. Poignant piece. Heartspell
ReplyDeleteOkay...this really reminded me of my engineering days.. many of us took exams for the heck of passing... very few understood the whys and hows!
ReplyDeleteBut then again, the perfect balance is all we seek to attain..
I really liked your piece... very thought provoking indeed!
hi glynn...not sure what happened to my comment from last night..anyway was saying that this piece reminded me of something i wrote after putting out my 7:25 poem..about living to work rather than working to live...all too common a problem today...again your work is superb..cheers pete
ReplyDeleteAh! Job! Probably because job is what we can do without people really asking why you do it, like when you are working and somebody come and asks why are you doing this or that you can only answer "It is what I get paid for", and people wont really keep on bothering you with questions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading :)
hard to say no when it is such a love. well written Glynn. shame it has to be that way though
ReplyDeleteYour poem is well written. It is so easy to connect to this poem. With passion for something, comes desire to see it through. Sometimes it is hard on loved ones, but in the end they understand and love none the less. Great addition to one shot!
ReplyDelete