Open Mic at Art6 Gallery

Open Mic at Art6 Gallery

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Diligent Worker

No one cares that he is upset,
feeling alone and helpless
all the while following orders
just like he should.  He is
 
reliant and responsible, but
hurts underneath his smile,
feeling left out and taken
for granted as he continues
 
his diligence as prodigal
people appear in the distance,
rewarded for showing up
after dwelling in the so-called
 
darkness.  They are greeted
with a hero’s welcome and
attentive ears to hear their
story of redemption.  But
 
what of the steady one,
he of promptness and hard work?
There are no celebrations,
only more work to do.  He
 
wants to vent his frustrations
and did so a time before, but
his cries were ignored.  In fact
all he got was a brief lecture
 
about how the universe
would collapse if he wanted more
than the lot that he occupied.
That is not what he wanted to hear,
 
his essence begging for some sort
of recognition, of praise, of something
to let him know he is appreciated.
But this never came and he
 
now sits alone in his work space
wondering if anyone gives a damn
or does all of the good cheer around
is headed for someone else.

3 comments:

Brian Miller said...

i feel your frustration a bit man...the ones that dont work get the improvement plans....and those that excel get recognized...but those that are just steady....work hard and never look for it...they often are left out....

emmett wheatfall said...

Deep and evocative. Expressed in a profound way. Enjoyed this piece immensely.

kolembo said...

Sad, Melancholic and Lovely. I am left thinking, really, the root of all problems is that we all want to be appreciated. Good stuff.