FIRST TIME

For Catherine

The first time you find yourself out of work
It hits you with surprise
After all these years in this same place
And now it's over.

Sometimes you blame yourself
What you could have, should have,
Would have done
But the shock sets in
And freezes something inside
As if it's always your fault

You try to remember that first day
You started at this place
And the first time you walked in
And the friends you know and knew
And all the triumphs and flops
You've been through

You break the spell and wonder
What tomorrow will be like
How can this happen to me
What did I do wrong
How can I fix the unfixable
Where do I begin
What about my family
How will we ever get through this

The first time you find yourself
Out of work
You feel you're in a world of trouble
And you feel you’re in it all alone

- By Anthony Buccino
From CANNED - Booted, bumped, down-sized, fired, forced out, hated, hired, jobless, laid off, let go, out of work, out-sourced, pink-slipped, terminated, sacked, unemployed
Copyright © 2010 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved.