deepundergroundpoetry.com
Willard of Auz
1.
He calls me names with a watery slur
He calls me scum- idiot questioning
my ethnicity-origin-identity as for him I am
just 'Bloody Asian' and 'Kooh-mar'
after probably having seen 'Outsourced' or something
I listen with a deadpan expression for I have to
stick to all my parameters or else I might get
the pink slip for non-compliance
by the heavyset HR manager
invaribaly jeopardizing the payments
of my Ipod-Ipad-Blackberry not to forget
the Visa backlogs for Gucci aviators
and Mad-O-wat hair styling and whatnot
Nightmare-in-a-blink-at-the-speed-of-light
Light-which is both particle and wave-dual natured
says the 'did-you-know' section of 'Gadget'
B l i n k
2.
Finally with one deep breath I end the hold
tell him in a manner part-friendly-part-businesslike
I won't be able to assist him and will hang up
if he persists-continuing such behaviour
B l i n k
But then Mr. Willard is just another type D-
-one who belongs to a high density-low income
demography of western Australia
-a former truck mechanic living on crumbs
after he lost everything a while back
-possible need for a computer is watching
Porn and engaging in [font=Tahoma,Geneva]unethical sexual behaviour
Just as sad-dejected as me and angry, drunk too
B l i n k
3.
He sighs a storm-calls me buddy-apologizes
suddenly sounding different-almost another man
and asks me to fix him and waits
with a faint 'Beach Boy' record playing
in the background
Feeling good about my ‘soft skill set’
I start my final troubleshooting
"Linux OS does not let virus or malware.."
B l i n k
4.
But he interrupts me and asks a question
It's unnerving-yes-my team leader
l o o k s at me-of course as he has been
listening to this call-monitering-from his aisle
(It's Sunday-The last day of the appraisal week)
with his palm up-his face quizzical
the AHT in red on the top
f l a s h i n g hardly make it
any easier
Mr. Willard asks if I know why Cancer is called so
the disease he reaffirms and waits for my answer
still breathing heavily-like a marathon runner
or may be after vigorous sex or work out
My animated team leader flails-points his watch-
mouths w o r d s
that don't reach me
B l i n k
5.
Staring at Mr. Willard's life in all its glory
or lack of it in squares of brilliant aquamarine
on my LCD screen I pull my hair as the word
f-i-x bombards inside my mind-like a Kamikaze pilot
in the last few moments
B l i n k
I humbly decline and accept my ignorance
Mr. Willard guffaws then coughs loudly
and apologizes before calling me ‘son’
it feels strange yet warm
until he goes...
"While the infected part explodes in your body
after the cancer is aggravated and advanced
it looks like a Capricorn, a cancer, so figures
like the one I have got inside me.."
He wishes me a healthy life and ends
the call before I could utter a word
B l i n k
6.
It's only dead air on the other hand
'15.33 Minutes-115 Calls waiting'
shows my screen and my team leader stands
next to me with a smile that reveals nothing
"Dude, take a break, he goes, “You could have sold
an upgrade-after empathising-you know,"
he says after a pause-smiles-pats my back
I start to drag my feet towards the door
thinking about exploding innards in crimson-
bright-slow-long
And for a moment I ask myself
if I could offer an OS which lets no virus
or an upgrade that could scan and heal the dying man
B l a n k
7.
'We care for you,'says a card board cut-out
Of course it's a girl-peppy-pastel-photoshopped
The cafeteria looks as usual-sullen-comatose-typical
of a Sunday at work of a ISO 32001 firm
I-senior rep Sammy-Code B4604
think of selling more upgrades and low radiation computers
(waiting for my appraisal-maybe a hike-at least one third)
and order some burger with my bitter mug of coffee
and then I think of Mr. Willard-beamish
Well thank you Mr. Willard as I could use
that information on cancer for a sale or an upgrade-
may be more
Thank you for calling-Would you like anything else?[/font]
Published 26th Jan 2012
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The author encourages honest critique.
26th Jan 2012 6:19am
A fair insight into the realm of the tele fixer almost expected the line " HAve you tried turning your computer off and on sir"
On a spinning a yarn level its a good job. Easy to read and follow .
I am not 100 percent sure but I think if you are in "quote"like in the last line of 2. You can use the word Will instead of would .
Anyhoo enjoyed the read ,nice one ,shine on
On a spinning a yarn level its a good job. Easy to read and follow .
I am not 100 percent sure but I think if you are in "quote"like in the last line of 2. You can use the word Will instead of would .
Anyhoo enjoyed the read ,nice one ,shine on
26th Jan 2012 7:20am
Eamon
Such a pleasure to have you
here.
I could imagine that.
And that line is so frequent
mostly for American offshore
troubleshooting. And the kind
of questions the tech support
get-well you don't want to know.
Very astute of you to point out.
Would was a mistake and the speech
marks was 'not-being-too-sure.'
Thank you as ever,
S'
Such a pleasure to have you
here.
I could imagine that.
And that line is so frequent
mostly for American offshore
troubleshooting. And the kind
of questions the tech support
get-well you don't want to know.
Very astute of you to point out.
Would was a mistake and the speech
marks was 'not-being-too-sure.'
Thank you as ever,
S'
your writing, at first glance, can read in such a light voice and manner that i sometimes forget how deep the roots go. the last part was blooming with sarcasm - pathos still blinding. lovely job here, S.
26th Jan 2012 4:21pm
Jess
Oh my-such a pleasure
to have you here dear.:)
I am happy that it reached
you. Those days are like
days of war, at some level.
They never leave one. Or may be.
Thank you,
S'
Oh my-such a pleasure
to have you here dear.:)
I am happy that it reached
you. Those days are like
days of war, at some level.
They never leave one. Or may be.
Thank you,
S'
26th Jan 2012 7:06pm
Can you illuminate with delicate irony, the squalor in which many of us spend most of their lives.
it is only recently that I try to write poems, usually I write prose.
A question arises in my inexperienced mind: Is your writhing prose or poetry?
Or Maybe both.
it is only recently that I try to write poems, usually I write prose.
A question arises in my inexperienced mind: Is your writhing prose or poetry?
Or Maybe both.
26th Jan 2012 7:38pm
Luca
Thank you for the read.
Well to each his own, so
they say.
It could be what you want-
a poem-a story-a monologue.
Or may be all of them.
Every poem tells a story.
That's the crux of it.
I try to tell the irony-delicate
or scathing-and when a reader
reciprocates then it's justified.
For communication is a circle.
I am excited to know that you
have ventured into poems. And
of course I am aware of your
love for Bukowski.
Light,
S'
Thank you for the read.
Well to each his own, so
they say.
It could be what you want-
a poem-a story-a monologue.
Or may be all of them.
Every poem tells a story.
That's the crux of it.
I try to tell the irony-delicate
or scathing-and when a reader
reciprocates then it's justified.
For communication is a circle.
I am excited to know that you
have ventured into poems. And
of course I am aware of your
love for Bukowski.
Light,
S'
