The old man eats his TV dinners,
He's never learned to cook.
He believes it's a woman's job
But he never quite has the nerve to approach one.
Sure, there have been some
But far & in-between.
They don't stay long,
Bar the ones who have been there
Not to love but to take.
But he was smart enough
To cut them off
And not ache for a connection
Even if it wasn't genuine.
He has sense enough
Yet, not exactly a kind which is common.
For he finds it hard
To stand on ground equidistant.
But what is normal?

Is it such a thing as loneliness or love
Which more people take apart of?
In love there is loneliness,
Just as in loneliness there is love.
Whether it is from hearts together
Who can't stand each other,
Or from hearts seperate
Yet readily love one another.
Is it such a thing as loneliness in love
Or love in loneliness
Which more people find themselves in?
Of the equal strength it takes to stay
There is someone stronger in leaving,
Of the equal weakness it takes to wane
There is someone weaker in longing.
Yet, of the unrequited,
These are but fancy words
Which don't always flower to fruition.
And love can be won through persistence,
But to some it is akin to attrition.
The foundation of it loose & unstructured,
Rather than unbound & liberated.

Perchance, by the eye which beholds;
Some think it cowardly -
Some think it bold.
To go on loving, nonreciprocal.
To go on loving, unconditional.

Things Change
Because a rep in the BPO becomes a supervisor then manager
This doesn’t give them the right to belittle other support and reps
Especially bullying and using bad words or snide comments
This upsets agents and makes them feel bad and perform worse
Plus it alienates them from the support and makes them look bad
In front of the entire team and often call centre which is bad
Respect lost in a minute often never to return or returning forced
Call centres are hire and fire them with egotistical bosses
Reps soon learn not to care less and hop to other centres
Brian saw this and experienced it putting his experiences down
So others can read learn understand call centre work
It’s not all bad but nor is it perfect and there’s much to say
Like any other industry there are good and bad points
Only by speaking out and education will things change

I'm part of a community
working for an oligarch
who treats us with impunity
and without his heart.
Due to the utmost conceit
his throne is one seat
so if we want to come eat
we'll have to compete.

We fight for master's love through production
at the cost of energy reduction
begging for an elitist induction
to the more favorable side of how we function.

The leader is a speeder bleeder
draining liters to move meters
we teeter further down steeper
in this ditch digging deeper.
The guy running the floor
is running for more
so if I run to the store
I run to his door.
He's more decisive
and callous
granting license
to his palace.

Ball and chain
walls of pain
stall my lane
hall of flames
calls for rain
all the same.

Depletion is the mission
in this war of attrition
they want to take all of me and nothing more
compliantly beaten like a loving *****
manning the counter to this ****** store.
Pieces are falling off
my fingers are broken
so I can feed on my slop
with American tokens.

I need to blast home
from this blast zone
my last known
whereabouts
no one cares about
stuck in this warehouse.
My job is to die slowly
in this position lowly
where nobody knows me
isolated and lonely.

One foot in the grave
one foot out the door
no matter how much I save
I can never even the score
which is the reason I'm poor
I reach for the shore
but I'm rebuffed
by makers of stuff
like hatred and such
a hundred acres too much
separates us.
I can't make the miles
with a used up body
so I take up the style
of scratching and clawing.

20 techs working all together
10 scientists reviewing all their work
2 techs gone for questionable behavior
3 techs lured away by lucrative positions
3 scientists went on to greener pastures
1 scientist promoted into management

Two-thirds the work force—extra work for all.
Management decrees that:
Worker shortages are not sufficient cause for revenue shortages or excess overtime.
Lunch breaks are mandatory and not to be worked through.
Invite all your friends to work here—isn’t it a wonderful environment?
Just think, we’re getting a new building in 3 years and will double in size.
All your woes will be solved then, if only you survive.

The season that is playing now
          brings forth a sorry tune.
No more Southern breezes.
          Sweet memories of June.

I find I am outside the ring.
           Within I tend the fire.
Ablaze not only leaves and sticks.
           I burn my soul entire.

The flames lick my wounds,
            but do not heal the pain.
Fire condemns, it won't create.
           What's gone is gone and naught remains.

And yet, I cannot walk away.
          This fire, it is mine.
Born the fruit of friction;
           Immortal and Divine.

What purpose had I hoped to serve?
           It never works as planned.
The servant now the master,
          I must feed it on demand.

Eventually, I am consumed;
          A victim of attrition.
The flames will wear us all away
         once we provide ignition.

I find I am inside the ring.
         I no longer tend the fires.
Ablaze is only leaves and sticks.
         I've burnt my soul entire.