on his retirement

They told me to give a speech during my retirement party. I said, "you guys didn't read my e-mail meh?"

photo by hotblack at morguefile



on his retirement



"Speech! Speech!", we ask.
He is holding his mug like a trophy.
He nods his head. He is silent.
For all his forty years
In the office
He could not think of anything
About his work to say.

An awkward cough! Applause
Ripple to nothingness.
The office walls close in.
We quickly spread out
The curry puffs,
Fried chicken, kueh and drinks.
"Eat! Eat!" we say.



12/07/2019
**********

---

Emerson Lake and Palmer - Lucky Man

---

© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2019

walking away

Your last day at work, does it feel like you are walking out of a sentence?

photo by StockSnap at pixabay




walking away



leaves
leaves all behind
no one looks up
not even a goodbye
what is there to remember?
a song's notes
that fade off in half flight
       a wind in November
       a walk to the gate
       a wave to the guards
to the chainlink fence
and the air seems so cold
even though
the rain trees
swelter in the noon heat
their leaves
leaves
falling
falling
as the wind whispers
it is a good day.


27/06/2018
**********

It is a strange feeling, walking out on my last day of work, out of a place that is almost like a second home. I feel neither sad nor happy, just looking forward to my birthday a day later.  🙂

---

Stereopony - Stand By Me

---

© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2018

a scream in the night

Urgh! Need to haul ass back to work. Just kidding!

photo by ElisaRiva at pixabay


a scream in the night



the cellphone is buzzing
and now lies on the bed
backlit face taunting

i jump at the ring
of phones, cell or otherwise
in the night

it is a habit

it is 2 a.m. it is the time
for ghosts
and howling dogs

it was a very drunk big-fingered
dork looking for
another night owl.

i should have unconditionally given
him some opinion
but i am glad

it wasn't a call to get back
to the office
to some dark street.



05/09/2013
**********

---

And if you can't sleep after that : Supertramp - Crime of the Century.

---

© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2018

Running on empty

It's another bad week. But not as bad as when I started out looking for a job. The muse is still missing, so I will just write some nonsense about, well, looking for a job.

If you are ever looking for a job, don't (i repeat, don't) copy this. :)



me, restless and clueless
image by dsnake1



running on empty

circa early 70's

dear sir

i know these are turbulent times
but i badly need to get a job.
i have been sitting on my butt for months
have dutifully typed out the letters
on my olivetti till the ribbons
were shot to hell,
sent them out but like chaff in the wind
there are no replies.
i peep at the letter box downstairs,
there's just a spider inside.

i look through the papers,
just the usual bad news,
the war in Vietnam winding up,
oil embargo, stuff that sucks.
sure there are a few offers
like that one smug asshole said
they make magnetic memories
would i kindly explain how they work.
cutting edge technology man.
i'm just looking for a job,
not a rocket scientist.

some days i get so bored
i go to the tyre shop downstairs,
chatting with the workers
changing truck rubbers
and looking at the posters
of the Bridgestone girls
plastered on the walls.
at least they smiled.

esteemed sir, will you give me a chance?
i am running on empty.
i know i have a lousy cert
that's the problem.
neither here nor there,
but if i'm not given a break
how do you know i'm useless?

so, is there a deal?


yours sincerely

frus trat ted

20.04.07
********


no sir, my application letters were very formal. i'm just bored and tired, so I wrote this piece of nonsense. But in the beginning, it was very tough.

sorry for the poor quality of the photo, it was an old and grainy piece. photoshop can only helped so much.