we plug in
and as joy drains away
so does our hope
to do something for ourselves
and then the week ends
and it’s monday again
work
the subway
rocketing through darkness
through holes underneath the earth
like a fast-moving worm or a snake
all kinds of humans jostle from side to side
a loud screech, and i’m to mind the gap for the 60th time and outside
the smell of piss and dirt and exhaust
someone yells manhgoes!
because I want to eat fresh fruit
in darkness and dust
an old woman sits on a bench
her feet are black with dirt
bruises and sores on her legs
her arms are crossed
her eyes, too
everything she owns, is in a few plastic bags within reach
we scurry past
just another unpleasantness
a forgotten thing
in the darkness beneath the earth
This one was inspired by a recent trip to NYC last weekend… which is why I missed posting last Monday, actually. Saw a Yankee game, among other things! Maybe I’ll do a blog post about it later this week if I have time. Happy Monday!
-AJM
what would the world look like
Yesterday, I did a little research and reading about Juneteenth, and I was inspired to write this poem. Slavery should not have happened. It should have never started to begin with in the 16th century.
I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the day, learning something new, and enjoying time with family and friends. Happy Juneteenth!
–AJM
what would the world look like
if no one decided
that men, women and children
were no better than savages
because of their skin color
because they didn’t live in houses
with picket fences
and cobbled stones
if no one said
i’ll take this one and then that one
stuffed them into watery cages
where people suffered, died and bled
if no one said
work this land or we’ll kill you
or rape your women, or beat your children
you’ll know no life other than terror
you’ll know no life other than work
to feel the rotten sting of shame
to not know your self worth
what would the world look like
if someone had said
show me where you come from
i’d like to understand
if someone had listened
would they know
their crime would crush
hundreds of generations
what would the world look like
if someone had
backed away
took themselves home
and worked the land themselves
Mondays
mondays suck
like sour wine
like getting sick
after feeling fine
mondays drag
like fishing net
like unsaid thoughts
you cannot forget
mondays stay
like a bad cold
like stagnant work
and it’s growing mold
mondays crush
like heavy stone
like feeling down
completely alone
monday’s here
like sunday died
like freedom left
and you’ve said goodbye
I suppose this poem isn’t the best Monday morning inspiration to start your work week, but we’ve all been there. ❤️
Sometimes, all we can do is try our best and survive the day. I hope we all have a great work week. Soo busy here!
Best,
AJM
Car Time
the space in between
adulting
for others
and adulting
for yourself
POEM: When My Dog Works
Author’s Note:
I am very lucky in my current situation to be able to work from home. My heart goes out to those who work in essential jobs who are more and more at risk everyday. It’s been stressful for all of us. Our chocolate lab, Koda, has been providing the entertainment here. He might not be the most well-behaved co-worker sometimes, but he is definitely our free-lance therapy dog right now. Below is just silliness.
Stay safe everyone!
Amanda
When my dog works
It’s all about play
He sits near your chair
As you begin your day
Somehow, his ball makes
its way on your desk
His wet nose touches your elbow
You tell him to rest
Just when it’s quiet
You have to go pee
Of course, he has to come along
(In case there’s something to see)
Back in the office
You answer a call
He gets stuck under the desk
While getting his ball
He looks up at you
With a big doggy grin
Wagging his tail
Let’s do it again
And again
And again
And again
What if You Could Say What You Want in a Cover Letter?
Today was a productive day. I managed to apply for a few new jobs, do laundry, take a walk and enjoy the sunshine. It was a beautiful day today, and I walked the few blocks to the falls from our house. The sound of the water pounding in a plummet over rocks is both beautiful and relaxing.
Who needs the white noise of the city? I’d take my sounds of running water any day! The walk was a much-needed break from the resume and cover letter writing I was doing, which I always find somewhat tedious.
Who loves writing resumes? Definitely NOT this girl…there’s not many people I know who like writing cover letters either. Who likes writing pretty much the same thing over and over but in different, clean and precise words?
During the writing, I was also thinking about how you have to approach different styles of writing with a different mind-set. Well, at least, I do!
While, resume writing this afternoon, I was focused. Like, super focused. Headphones on to drown out the noise, and notebook in front of me, I didn’t leave my desk until I had to switch the laundry over and even then I was thinking about the next paragraph: why am I the best candidate for this job?
The reason might be, because I have a tendency to over-think it. I am a creative writer, I want the words to sound great, to have a flow, but you have to remember: you can’t sacrifice content for creativeness.
For the cover letter, it is also the same way. It is a business letter to the potential employer, and you are the sales person. Why are you a great person for the job? And no amount of flowery words can cover a lack of experience.
To a person who likes to create characters and disappear into compelling dialogue, resume writing is about as boring as essay writing – and I didn’t much enjoy that, either.
I’ve always wanted to create something different: What would a resume or cover letter look like if we said what we actually wanted?
Like, Dear Ms. Hiring Manager:
I am a great person, a great writer, with a college education and I don’t really care for these cover letter/resume things. They never really say who I am as a person, and you can write the best resume in the world and make yourself look the best – but those people are never as perfect as they claim to be, and honestly, a fake person is not the kind of person you want working for you.
I dislike the fallacy of it all. Everyone brags about being a positive and energetic person, but honestly, there are not many people I know who are positive or energetic without coffee.
You can work at some jobs for a year, others for six months, and some for two years, but the most experience I ever had, was working with great people and for a great team. A job doesn’t really work, unless there are awesome people behind it.
And…how is that going to happen, if everyone basically lies on their resume/cover letters?
Anyway, it would be great to hear back from you. But I don’t expect to. Over 60 people applied for this job (it says so on Indeed) and I’m sure most of them have told you they’ve worked for ten years at the same job and speak french and mandarin, and some of them I’m sure are former beauty pageant winners. (I worked directly with a hiring manager this year, and almost every time, she hired the candidates who were the most attractive.)
My resume is attached for review…or is it? I might have sent you a link to my LinkedIn account instead. It’d be great to hear from you, but I’m not holding my breath over here.
Sincerely,
Amanda
Now, wouldn’t that be awesome?
In this competitive world we live in, there must be some employers out there who want the more creative resumes and cover letters? Honestly, I think everyone could always use a good laugh!
Hope everyone is having a great night! Happy Writing!
I Want to Live Life, Without Feeling Trapped
Having a case of the Sunday night blues tonight. Happens every night lately before the start of a new week. I love my freedom during the days on weekends. To enjoy the sunshine when I want, to read a book, to bake, to enjoy being human and alive and with others and the people who I love.
This current job I’m at now, while there are some decent people, I feel like everyone is so bored with life there. They are so bored and tired of the next day, of a job that keeps going with no end, of a retirement that is still eight years down the road.
It’s had me thinking a lot about what I want out of life, lately. I don’t want to work in a job where my life is taken from me. I want freedom…I want to travel…I want to live.
People judge millennials because we don’t want to work. But people forget many of us are not working in the job we went to school for. We don’t get money because we are doing what we love. We get money because we work at jobs, (very often) that no one else wants to work at.
I’m no slacker. I’ve worked a myriad of jobs to make money to pay the bills and I’ve been miserable at many of them, but I worked them anyway. Where does it say that we have to be miserable to make money?
People say that you should work hard, stay at a job, get retirement, but the sacrifice of life, freedom, and lack of money just doesn’t seem worth it anymore. Forgive me, but, I am no one else’s money-maker.
I want to live my life, without feeling like I’m trapped in my job. Is that really so much to ask?
Helping Others When You Can’t Help Yourself
There’s something that’s been on my mind lately.
As you guys know, Mike and I have moved to a new area, and that means…new job for me. AGAIN.
My last job was great for me: sit in a room and type and don’t have to talk to anyone if I don’t want to. Boring, yes, but not taxing or stressful because I wasn’t forced to be interactive on days where I really didn’t want to.
People might shake their head and be like: what are you talking about? What’s so hard about talking to people?
But when you have social anxiety, there is everything wrong with talking to people. It is very difficult to help people when you can’t help yourself.
I don’t know how much I’ve stressed over and over to people who are close to me, and to others and I hope they will eventually get it.
Working in Customer Service where your job is to help people is sooo difficult when you can’t help yourself.
Inside, you feel like you can’t breathe, you are drowning. Your mind is telling you to do something, but you are also fighting with yourself. I can’t, I’ll do it wrong, I’m hopeless, I’m worthless, look at them staring…they know…they know…
On top of the anxiety, there’s the depression that comes a long with it. You feel like a loser. A simple job and you can’t do it. Everyone else is fine, no one is having troubles. There must be something wrong with me. I’m a nobody, I have no purpose, I feel so worthless…so worthless.
These are only a few of the thoughts that were running through my mind today when I was at my new job where I have to assist customers and I have to put on a smile, and I have to interact with people and pretend that I am okay when I’m not.
I even mentioned to my co-worker: “I’m a little anxious today, it makes me feel like extra slow and stuff.”
Didn’t really get much of a response. But where’s the time really to go into the full length explanation, and who knows really what to say to all that anyway?
I think I’ll be looking into seeing a specialist soon as therapists know the right responses to these feelings…or at least you hope they do, but something else has been bothering me:
Why aren’t more people aware of how debilitating anxiety and depression are in the work place?
I know it has effected me and my career…or lack thereof one.
Why aren’t we talking about it? Why aren’t more people aware how difficult it is to put on a brave face, when inside you feel like you are drowning?
WHY DON’T WE TALK MORE ABOUT THIS?
Anyway, I just wanted to throw that out there. Those of us that struggle with this are heroes when you have to bear this burden in silence, and we really shouldn’t have to be.
It is a real thing, and more people should be understanding out there…work place included.
Ah, I feel better now. Anyway, what are you guys doing tonight? Anything thoughts on this?
Feeling a bit Underappreciated Lately
I’ve been feeling a bit underappreciated at work lately. I understand that things change, you expand, you grow, you quickly learn that an open mind to new things is a productive mind.
However, I feel like there are a few things that a company owes its employees in order to keep those employees happy. Common sense tells me that appreciated employees are loyal employees that stay and work their hardest and grow.
But…not all employers share this sentiment, (I sometimes think there should be more laws to protect employees from a company that abuses its workers, but what do I know, I only do the work,) and it is sometimes difficult to continue on, while someone else is reaping all the benefits.
Story of all our lives, eh?
Anyway, just thought I’d make a list of some key values that I think a company should have to keep healthy, happy and hard-working employees.
Honestly, it is so simple: a good company is like a happy family with everyone doing their job and singing praises until the very youngest, lowest, member of the family, (usually the dog,) receives this praise and takes this encouragement to heart and realizes that they have a place and they will continue to work to keep that place.
A good company has:
- Strong leadership skills
This is a given really, we are only as good as the management who guides us.
- Excellent communication
This goes along with the management, usually a good manager is great at communicating things that need to be said to its employees.
- Organizational Skills
Know what needs to be done, when it should be done. And stick to deadlines when you make them.
- Respect
Most people learned this in grade school. Have respect for the people who work under you, and you will receive it in return.
It amazes me how easy the simplest values are lost when they really shouldn’t be. And it is really a shame when valuable employees are the ones who suffer for it. I hope everyone has a great night!
Happy Writing!
A. J. Morse 