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| Polar bear head, Snowplex, Lynchburg, VA |
all the rows of books
& my old boss
clean,
sipping a Venti,
laughing
among
well dressed friends
bankruptcy is like that,
only employees wonder
where last month's pay
went
& Sunday
@ church
she greets
'God bless
& keep you.'
'amen.'
i answer, both of us
meaning it
just about the same,
i guess.
It's not the monsters under the bed that should scare you. Maybe the ones inside are scarier. Yesterday I went to bankruptcy court to try and get a bit of my back pay. Funny how their attorney got his. But there is the monster, twisting things, once hurt and wanting to feed the pain & be angry.
written for Poetry Jam. and in 55 words for my good friend g-man.
Posts
88 comments:
No#1
Hank
a harsh and painful reality. give me the monsters under the bed anytime...
Yes, the monster under the bed is easier to tame!
Hank
Ya, hard to know who the real monster is sometime. Perhaps situations that bring people to bankruptcy. But hard to see that the attorney deserves his pay more so than others. In church, ya, you both probably mean the words the same. At least you say them. It's a start.
Yeah, those monsters under the bed are much easier to deal with. No ambiguity there. The photo and your poem gave me the shivers!
Kill all the Lawyers, Kill them tonight!
One does wonder how these things work out. But do you best to keep bitterness at bay. The world needs your mind, your attention, and your smile.
Oh, so sorry to hear this.
that's a chilling picture you paint with great deftness... it is painful how unfair life can get sometimes...
And they walk about in broad daylight wearing gruesome grins...
Hoping things get better for you and yours.
Sometimes the monster is wearing a smile...Hope things get better.
we are making it you know...never go hungry and got a roof over our heads...will be nice if i can get some of the money owed...
and daniel you are right, you have to be ever vigilant of the thoughts that pop in your head, they will sour a day...or much longer...
I'll take the monster under the bed any day
Then stupid lawyers and bankruptcy screwing up my pay
Sounds like a pain in the rump
Maybe give them a kick there and leave a good bump
I like your plain directness, thanks.
Good luck! money matters seem to be a
real snafu for me- I hope you fare better!
I'm sorry to hear about this, Brian. If only there were some justice in the world...
I hope things work out for you ~
Its funny to think of monsters as polished and well dressed people ~ But sadly, when the things get tight, something in us, just gives up and turns nasty, a harsh reality to swallow ~
There are monsters everwhere, it's a delicate balance, we change roles, each on his own path, and suddenly there I am, in a role I never thought I would play.
Agh. The bankruptcy laws changed a couple of years back - they make it far more difficult now to have a personal bankruptcy (but not for business.) And I believe that legal fees are among the top of preferred payments! (That's to sort it out, but it makes it a very strange field, I agree.) Pretty crazy. So sorry. What a terrible thing for employees.
But if your blessing at all, your monsters are not so mean! k.
I vote for no monsters under the bed or in my head!! Too much work!!
Hugs
SueAnn
So much truth....monsters, especially the well dressed ones can be a pain in the A--! Sometimes things work out for the employee, lets hope this is one of those times.....
Oh, I hope you get your back pay! You have every right to be angry if their lawyer got his pay and you haven't. Bureaucracy is another monster too.
Another great piece though Brian.
at least with the monsters under the bed if you close your eyes really tight you can wish them away...
chin up miller :)
I experienced this years ago .. single mom, trying to begin again in mid-life. The picture you paint is real, Brian. Making today all the more sweet .. yes.
Hello Brian,
Greetings and good wishes.
Monsters inside are definitely more scarier. They twist and turn us, nag us continuously, grow bigger and bigger inside us, torment us night and day,tear us apart and make us insane and unable to think. It is better to drive out this monster for the sake of peace and tranquility.
Polar bear head looks very scary.
Yes, only employees wonder where the last month pay went and not the politicians who are rolling in wealth.The politicians decide how the employees should live,how much they should spend and make sure the employees don't get enough money to spend ever on essential things so that their lives are in perpetual misery and suffering. Well, that is how our democratic system works.
Well written,very thought provoking post.
Best wishes,
Joseph
I hope you prevail.
This is a total monster reality... Bankruptcy. What a horrid halloween costume that would make! You know I feel your pain.
So sorry you're having to go through so much trouble to try to get what's yours. Hope the monster doesn't contaminate your spirit of forgiveness, or make you stay in anger. I know, easy for me to say. It's hard to let go of things like this.
ugh... the worst thing is when they're believers (or say so) cause you would expect them to treat you different..ugh..painful..don't let the monsters get big...easier said than done...i know..
Yep, the boss gets the mine and the working man gets the shaft--and the knowledge that the bankruptcy will allow mr. boss to not lose assets or have to pay what he owes is salt in the wound. But not good to let the mind rest on bitterness too long either, that monster will eat you faster than poverty ever will. My sympathies on having to go to court--as stressful and bad for the stomach as going to the hospital.
There is a lot to think about in this. I went for the monster inside in my poem as well but not quite as subtle as yours. Hope you get some of your back pay.
Justice WILL come just maybe not in the way or time you expect!
Hmmmm, yes....good point...plenty of money for a venti and fine duds....but please, PLEASE do not say things in "the name of Jesus"...that is such a suckish thing to do....ugh.
Brian...hope things work out that you can recover some of that $. SO UGLY.
OUCH!
Real life has plenty of its own "monsters", doesn't it? I"m hoping this all works out...
Keeping that anger at bay can take a lot of energy. It's times like these we learn our limits. I'd say yours are far more moral than his.
Well put dear Brian.;) Yes, we al have those little (or big) monsters inside, I have a few of my own.;) Still working on taming (controlling?) them.;))
Hope your week is going well.;))
xoxo
ooh well done poetry-wise & more than a bit heart-wrenching... it's hard sometimes not to call life unfair. all the best to you, brian.
What's the old saying - "Life sucks, and then you die" ? I really think that's why so many are so angry so much of the time. It's hard when you can recognize what's fair and what isn't. At least you are trying to keep your head (and spirit) above water. Creative outlets are helpful -to a point.
God bless and keep you and yours (and I do mean it!)
Bankruptcy is a tough thing to go through...but I feel for you man
Very strong keep on writing dude
This is siiiiiiick. Keep up the good work and keep reppin Terminally Ill brooooooo.
Hmmm ... Love, c.
jeez Brian, where have I been? did not know. so hard that. wish u good luck.
wow, how did master how to so well, with a lot going on. well, done.
This is sharp and sticking, Brian...as it should be, because it is almost 'everyman' theme today.
Court is worse than a root canal...(but not as bad as 6 dental implants..)
Keep up your spirit, Brian, and know that you are not alone.
Lady Nyo
It's hard to ignore that monster. He's so hungry and demanding. Like the lawyer, maybe, who always gets fed first.
Oh Brian sorry by you I hate these type of things only wait for justice yeah is the right.
Keep up your spririt Brian and I know is not easy!
and your old boss is suck!
I would be angry, and would probably stay that way a long time. I'm still mad at Walmart and TracFone for ripping me off for $100, and that's nothing compared to a paycheck.
I'm sorry you're going through that, Brian. Some things are just so unfair! And don't get me started about lawyers...
"among
well dressed friends
bankruptcy is like that,
only employees wonder
where last month's pay
went"
Hi! Brian...
Thanks, for sharing the image and the title "the ever-tightening Screw" "compliment"[?] what you are facing through your use Of poetic words.
[Note: I'm so sorry that you are facing this challenge... I truly hope that everything turn out in your favor.]
deedee :(
Ugh, so sorry!
A rough situation for sure. I have to agree, the monsters inside us can be pretty hard to fight, but fight we must, too much at stake not to. Great take on this week's prompt, thanks so much for playing along!
I think I know the monster. Don't linger, walk on. Best to you, Brian.
An intelligent written and timely
poem. So sad how many good workers are getting stiffed by
people who have plenty of money.
The lawyers always get theirs...
ugh! so sorry!
stark reality of your day & age down there. Hope your God still watches over you at least
stark reality of your day & age down there. Hope your God still watches over you at least
wow...Brian..praying for you...such brave clarity on your part in a very difficult place.
now that's a REAL monster! i would think the bankruptcy court would put wages at the top of the creditors' list at one dollar on the dollar ~ no? probably putting the I.R.S. at the head of the line.
so sorry, Brian!
thanks for joining in at Poetry Jam!
♥
dani
I'm confused (nothing unusual). Was the bankruptcy dealing with the church? Does this mean that not only you but others were also gypped of what belongs to you? I'm so very sorry! I pray that somehow, God smiles on you!
the meaty bankruptcy stanza, hits home for so many, very powerfully illustrated. Strong write Brian, thanks
Attorneys always have first dip into whatever's going. We all should have been attorneys, then everyone's economy would be booming!
Commiserations.
Powerful post.
And the last line is perfect.
=)
I am sorry Brian ... I know what this is like, enough to know why you probably did not recoup. My husband is one of those attorney's. A wonderful man who has sympathy and understanding and who cares about what people are going through. The Polar Bear, one of my familiars ... I am broken hearted when I see a photo. This was EXCELLENT.
Oh Brian, I'm sad reading this. All I can say is: been there, done that...it will pass, you will come out on top, you are a survivor and then some.
Let's slay those dragons eh!!!
Hugs, G
Sorry about that. I hate how unfair life can be. Hoping it all works out for you.
Funny how their attorney got his.
Just isn't it though?
I am so sorry. ~Mary
Brian, bankruptcy attorneys always get paid, and it is unfair how the employees are treated--painful write, yet well said, great way end :-)
...that is hard. But you are such a hard worker, so talented - it is hard for me to believe that won't win out at the end of the day.
The Potlickers!!!!
Most Excellent 55 BM.
Thanks for playing, I hope you get your Money Sonny, Have a Kick Ass Weeki-End
ouch. "meaning it just about the same, i guess..." the bitterness comes through here, like a large burnt coffee without sugar. nicely channeled, brian.
Ug - we work hard enough for that paycheck, you shouldn't have to go and fight for it like that. I've been there too, and it sucks. Sorry.
The American life is just a dream today. Sorry you are going through some hard times...praying for you and your family. Like your optimism.
Best wishes.
Great 55 and your anger is more than legit. Hell, I am angry having read it...... Power to the middle class!
This is a wonderful poem, one of your best, I think, because of lines like:
"sipping a Venti,
laughing"
and
"only employees wonder where last month's pay went"
and because you wrote it for so many. Companies always come out of bankrupcy clean. Clean as the head of a weasel.
Great title. Great picture. Great read.
oh, I know that monster all too well. (damn the human condition!) I usually tell him to shut the f*** up! Maybe yours will listen better than mine does (smiles)
Irony rules...
"clean,
sipping a Venti,
laughing"
...sometimes the ones to watch out for! Scary Brian...hope it all works out well for you.
The lawyers always get their cut off the top. In those big class action suits, plaintiffs often get nothing at all even when the lawyers rake it in. Ditto bosses. We have too big a divide between the top and the rest.
two for one, always the impeccable wordsmith, you.
You are doing so well, Brian. I have gone through similar situations in my life but as long as we stay focus , we will rise above all these challenges. Stay blessed! I , too wonder, how the lawyers get paid. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Mine is here
Have you a ROCKING AND BLESSED WEEKEND!!!
hugs
shakira
ah, that must have been a sour moment.
Love this section, your boss getting clean, all the lifechanging power of bankruptcy:
"& my old boss
clean,
sipping a Venti,
laughing
among
well dressed friends
bankruptcy is like that"
And this:
"i answer, both of us
meaning it"
Wow! That's powerful -- excellent!
As long as the bosses get theirs, they are happy. How can they sleep soundly knowing others haven't gotten what they deserve?
I have one word for this poem: 'Succinct'
They put their clean hard shell on to contain their guilt...I suppose.
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