BEASTLY TALES

DROPPING OUT

Have you been sleeping on the floor?
You look poorly, on death’s door.
Yes, frankly, you look a fright,
Try to get much more sleep at night!
Perhaps you’ve been sleeping rough,
Sleeping on the street is sure tough.

The company I long worked for gave me the push!
No warning, prevarication, beating the bush.
They called me in and said, “You’re out!”
Not leaving me even a scintilla of doubt.
I asked why my position had suddenly gone,
They looked at me as if I was off my scone.
You are now superfluous to requirement,
We suggest you do the right thing, early retirement.
Whatever you do, you must leave the office now.
Perhaps you can earn your keep with the sweat of your brow!
But for fifteen years, I’ve worked for you,
And now I’m out, without even my due!
No pay in lieu of notice, no gold watch,
Not even a miserable bottle of scotch.

So, the world’s come to this, standards are dead!
If you’re faithful and loyal, you’re considered off your head!
Greedy and grasping, that now seems the style.
Cities now peopled by people most vile.

Frank Lee Dismal considered his options, so few.
Frankly, he did not know what to do.
He was too old to get another job.
Too genteel to be a professional slob.
He was too disappointed to have much hope.
Too young to expire, or just sit and mope.
His assets were few, debts quite large.
He could live near the lake, on the lake’s marge.
That seemed to be a quite reasonable approach.
Ensuring that the world stayed away, didn’t encroach.