Dream (Of) Job Poem by Radhika Narayanan

Alone in a cubicle,
Entrapped in a circle.
Chasing deadlines to meet,
Hardly ever on my feet.
Forgotten are Shelley and Tagore,
For there are projects galore.
This 4×6 space of ply,
Has made me dull and wry.
Cups of coffee and late night calls,
Weekend trips to the malls.
Gearing for feedback and appraisal,
Requests met with dismissal.
Team lunches and out bound,
Team spirit – has it been found!
Mission, vision and quality policy,
Not enough to bring out the capability.
Re-orgs and business decision,
All mean workforce consolidation.
Winning awards and bonus,
On me is the onus.

Caught in the traffic light,
A college guy caught my sight.
Looking at me with admire,
Aspiring for this quagmire.
I saw my dreams in his eyes,
Enticed by this game of cat and mice,
A call from a friend sounding tired,
Seems he has just been fired.
All shaken and sorry,
The recession made me wary.
I thanked the heavens for my job,
Am happy to be still a part of the mob.