A Job Change. Poem by Michael Walker
A Job Change.
In mystudent days I had flatmates
and some Friday nights we had visitors,
most of whom I have long since forgotten.
But Colin came around wearing a white suit,
telling us that he was a travelling salesman
for a soft drinks company in South Auckland.
He turned down our offers of beer and wine
and stayed with lemonade.
He told me he did well as a travelling salesman
and he earned bonuses for every extra soft drink sold.
When he turned forty he planned to become a philosopher.
I never saw him again but I hope he prospered
in writing as you need original rigorous thinkers
to question society's assumptions andyou can drink
the sparkling water of ethics.
-7,8 September,2017.
There are a number of poets, writers, musicians and et ceteras who make a living as a salesperson for awhile, trying to survive having to sell the soul to pay the 'rent.'
This is indeed the situation of many artists, including this young man from the distant past. I never forgot what he said.
On a random occasion, your meeting with Colin could have such a lasting impact. Great poem. Thanks. .....as we need original dedicated thinkers to question assumptions and revive pure logic.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/6/2024 7:06:56 PM # 1.0.0.1119
An interesting poem, Michael. You tell your stories so well.