With Apologies to Lewis Carroll and Robert Southey

“You are old, My Employee,” the young Boss said,
   “And your beard has become very white;
And yet you show up every morning for work—
   Do you think, at your age, it is right?

“Your great age,” The Boss continued in fun,
   “I feared it might injure your creativity;
But now that I’m perfectly sure you have none,
   I need staff a bit nearer their nativity.”

“You are old,” said the youth, “your potential too flat
   For projects beyond the straight line;
Yet you act as a mentor to our most promising staff,
   With their respect, which by rights should be mine!”

“In my youth,” said The Employee, “I took to my work,
   And each day I increased knowledge deep”;
While in his mind ran the thought, “This is all for naught.
   It’s my last day to work for this creep.”

“We have talked for two minutes, and that is enough,”
   Said The Boss; “You have wasted our air!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
   Here’s a bag, pack your things, Now Downstairs!”

Image courtesy of Corante.com.

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Lewis Caroll inserted his "Father William" verse into "Alice in Wonderland" as the caterpillar’s required recitation. Caroll's nonsense verse was a parody of a moralizing verse by Robert Southey. Today, Southey is remembered for little other than being the object of this parody. In a sense, my verse is a parody of a parody.

I wish my poem was nothing beyond a nonsense parody. Alas, I have lived through The Employee's experience. As I am sure have many others.