I am trying to think why this grabs me as strongly as it does. Partly it reminds me of the corporate warriors I have seen at the bar at our club in Yokohama, so many of whom have gone from high-flyer to baffled "Oh, my God" when an employer has decided that they are no longer necessary. Do wonder about what you meant in the last two lines. Care to explicate? John On 2/8/06, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > > > A JOB OF WORK > > > > I spoke to an old boss > > And asked about his job > > Which I'd heard was insecure > > And whether he wanted to come > > Work for me. There was no irony: > > I was a gray beard who had > > Seen more things than that. > > > > He said he'd survived another week > > Knowing, the while, his time was short. > > We spoke of his possibilities. > > I returned to a weakened > > State, the flu had sapped me. > > There was no offer I could make > > Beyond that consideration; > > > > So we left it there: his feeling > > The benefit of my concern. > > My feeling of doing right. > > We rested there in confidence > > That all had been said. He'd think > > Of it as part of the continuum. > > I'd see it as having been ordained. > > > > Lawrence 1992 -- John McCreery The Word Works, Ltd. 55-13-202 Miyagaya, Nishi-ku Yokohama 220-0006, JAPAN ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html