Vacation * I love the word
Conjuring up * A life deferred
Until the return * Which I hope is never
To pull that off * Takes all the clever
And cunning ways * That I can muster
Concentrated * Into a single cluster
To say goodbye * To the separation
Between work and play * Takes preparation
And preparation * Looks just like work
Which is the stuff * I’m trying to shirk
And want to put off * For another day
Or the one thereafter * If there’s any way…
I often think * Of a life reversed
Instead of this one * Which feels so cursed
A life where play * Precedes all the work
Until I’m so old * That I’ve gone berserk
With the dementia * That old age brings
That leads to forgetting * All kinds of things
That I was supposed to * Do when I’m older
Like all the work * I promised to shoulder
After a life of play * I promised to work
Knowing full well * That it would lurk
Until my golden * Years have arrived
That is if I managed * To survive…
From all of the planes * That I would jump out
The wine and the food * That would give me the gout
Jetting off * To surf a tsunami
Learning Mandarin * And origami
Playing kazoo * For a million fans
Swinging like Tarzan * From rubber bands
Feeding the homeless * Every last one
The work it can wait * Til these things get done
For if there’s wine in the bottle * It should get drunk
The interesting thoughts * They should get thunk
Before anyone returns * Back to their desk
To finish up * Their PowerPoint deck
Those things are better * Saved for life ever after
When facing forever * Up in the rafters
We will need something * To fill up the time
This life here is short * Up there we will find
The clock has no hands * The time will not pass
With all this boredom * We will find that alas
That PowerPoint deck * Won’t look quite as boring
Completing that thing * Could become quite alluring
That’s what I told * My boss when returning
From a week at the beach * His eyes they were burning
I said, “Take a vacation * Go ahead and take two
We can save all this work * For when there’s nothing to do”
He clutched at his heart * And fell to the floor
That’s when I realized * My work was no more
Which is all that I wanted * Truly a gift
That PowerPoint deck * Would never be missed
I stopped by HR * And gave them a wink
Gave my two cents * Here’s what I think
Each life is priceless * So that I’ve heard
I gave them a bargain * My value deferred
My infinite value * I’ll discount the price
Truly a bargain * You’ll find it quite nice
When I pass on * You can stop paying
They looked quite bewildered * At what I was saying
I said,”Believe yours ears * Know that it’s true
This is the bargain * I offer to you
I won’t drink your coffee * I won’t breath your air
You should be relieved * This is quite fair
As for those paychecks * Just keep them coming
I won’t tell a soul * The scam you are running
Paying folks who are priceless * A humbling wage
Trapped in a cubicle * Resembling a cage
I’ll just keep quiet * It’s our little secret”
HR went silent * I think I heard crickets
I think we are clear * I’ll see in two weeks
But if there’s no paycheck * Things could get bleak…
2017 - John B Murphy III - All Rights Reserved