Friday Morning Five O' Clock Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

Lost my job
Recently when my company
Took right sizing measures
To meet the global economic challenge

I am a carpenter
By profession
And all these years
I have been shaping
And sizing woods
To meet the requirements
Of company furniture

A good number of
My colleagues
Were relieved of
Company’s services
With three months’ salary
And it took care of
My family comprising
My wife and ten year old son
For almost six months now

Thank God
Thanksgiving day
Neared and I got the job
As a well-wisher in
One mart,
Which claims itself smart
I joined them a month back
And I earned my first fortnight wages
Which made me feel
That not everything is over
I too have a life ahead

Came the thanksgiving day,
Which falls on a Thursday
And on the Friday morning next
Our mart is offering
Attractive super offers
I was to take care of an entrance of the mart
As there will be a crowd waiting outside
To rush in and avail the best offers
As some of them are very limited

Friday morning five ‘o clock
I pulled shutters up
And there came in a flood of people
Most of them out of control
Someone knocked me so harsh
I stumbled and fell down
Crowd did not stop
Minding not the fallen me
And many stamping me
It took no time for me
To realise that I was
In a stampede
Soon I was attended
By doctors
And I could hear them
Telling that I am a gone case

I was wondering whether
In the name of financial wisdom
People are becoming
Economically mad

My store mart
Has its slogan as
“Save Dollars, Live Better”

It would be right
If it reads
“Save Dollars, Live Better –
Even if it means killing our staff”