The Appointed Day Poem by Daniel Brick

The Appointed Day arrived without
accompanying signs. Some observers
said, "It has arrived today because
today is neither yesterday nor tomorrow.
It simply arrived in its calendar slot."
Others agreed, and were gratified their
point of view was spreading through
the growing crowd. It looked like a "done deal."
But one eager believer kept talking,
"Just because it has not revealed
its arrival strategy doesn't mean diddly-squat."
He meant it to be a "closure line" and a funny one,
as well. Seasoned members knew the damage was done,
a few left quickly, the others slouched around,
twirling their fedoras, waiting for the ax to fall.
It fell twenty minutes later. There were no survivors

The nay-sayers were now in charge and they made
the most of it. They executed warrants, purged
files, assigned duties, increased some wages, and
eliminated 932 jobs effective immediately. It had
all the marks of victory. Even the nay-sayers
who were not drinking were intoxicated. Then
at 9: 00 pm, they voted for a new Appointed Day,
for some time next year. The next day the halls and
corridors of power were empty. Everything was already
in place. And no one among the nay-sayers spoke out of turn.