The Cause Of His Secret Gripe With The World Poem by Margaret Alice

Beyers Unknown from IT said
to switch off my computer every
day – I did not, of course, but
then today my conscience won –
he did say it would make it faster –
so I tried it and just what
I feared happened:

My password rejected, I’m informed
that I’m locked off, contact your
administrator – so I did and he changed
my password again – but what’s the use of
ordering us to switch off daily if
we fail to switch on again?

Beyers says to change our passwords
every seven days – it’s policy –
doesn’t he know we only learn
the rules in order to break them
without getting caught?

Beyers isn’t a sport, he is much
too serious, condemning the whole
NLS* for using photographs
of themselves as screen savers,
proudly declaring he has none
of himself; I think I’ll go see him
next time I’m at Kingsley* and
determine the cause of his secret
gripe with the world…

*National Language Service
* Kingsley Building