A Business Deal Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

Things did look good,
the reasonableness
was palpable that day.
Only that fellow Murphy
and his blasted Law
had infiltrated the territory
and breached perimeters
that should have been taboo.

And so I signed the papers,
and was assured the mechandise
with all the trimmings would arrive
to be received with joyful heart
in just a week, so praise the Lord.

And when I left he'd stayed behind
to do his dirtywork and throw a spanner
into the works, all unbeknownst to me.
The merchandise arrived, so I was told
but would be late by two, three days,
there was a tiny glitch that needed fixing.

It turned out differently, my friends.
The glitch was major and I ascertained
what had been happening, in dark of night,
such a defect and all the tampering with it
did make it unacceptable, that much was clear.

What followed was a skirmish, followed by
more of the same, each with more fire,
and when the war was over in a week
it first appeared unclear as to which side
had won the mother of all battles here,

it was the day that all the ammunition,
all bullets had been spent and hit their targets.
That day will be tomorrow, it's a Monday,
the aftermath of Father's Day, for dear old Dad.