CANNED booted, bumped, down-sized, fired

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

By Anthony Buccino

The hard-hitting truth about being out of work, the strains that tag along and the sinking boat you feel you're riding in. This collection deals with a difficult subject in a very real way. It's strength is its realness and that is also its greatest weakness. It's not for the faint of heart. A must-have for anyone who deals in human resources, personnel, recruitment, job placement, or has been fired, laid-off and is out of work.

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TWO PAYCHECKS

Once, you laughed at her rag picker's frumpy clothes,
and her stringy, dirty hair,
but now, you see,
you're just two paychecks away.

I never thought you would be so snooty
like you have forgotten where it is you started
your clothes were always clean.
your hair washed and brushed
and a roof always overhead.

But now, you see, you're just like her and me,
just two paychecks away from a cardboard box.

- 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, content may not be used for commercial purposes without written permission.


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DEAR BOSS

It’s been twenty-five years since we worked together.
You remember, after twelve years you traded me
to another location for someone with the same job title as mine
They want to get rid of him and you thought I would be better off there,
I could learn more as a small fish in a big pond.
Well, you know how it all went down.
The trying times I had, the angst and all the ire
and you and your guy butted heads, too, I heard.
But me, I moved on,
left that huge company with those great benefits
and the seniority and a stable paycheck
And, yeah, like Dennis said at my farewell,
“Andy, you shouldn’t be my boss, you should be out there
writing stuff, writing books, that’s what you should do.”

I took those writing jobs, it’s what I was supposed to do all along
some jobs lasted only two months, some eight months,
two I had for five years, and the one I’m in now, for more than ten.
It was during those no-work times when I wondered
where I would be if I had stayed in that sucky job with you.
And I realize, no matter how close to nothing I have in my wallet
and no matter how rough the seas in my marriage
these twenty-five years since I left your job have been the best...

- By Anthony Buccino
Adapted 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.
******************

SHOESTORE WRITER

When I left the shoe store job
after a few months
I got my Saturdays back
And left with a line for the ladies I'd meet
I like your pumps, your stacks, your high heels
It would have been a sure thing
if only I could remember which was which
Because ladies in 1972 never expected
a guy to know the difference in women’s shoes.

I spent a lot of my shoe store pay
On hot dogs from the cart outside
And bought new record albums and played them
when I dreamed of dancing with hot ladies
in their sparkling shoes and sparking spike heels
And I spied on shoes in the Thom McAn up the block
There on Broadway in Newark
you never knew what you'd find
I never thought I saw too much of interest
Except for the big bum who asked me for change
and figured I had some since I wore a stupid tie
Then the ladies came in, some beauties, really,
in both ways you say that.
Like the Gypsy woman wearing
different color shoes on her feet,
And her gorgeous daughter who took our breath away.

Our shoe stretcher in the back was,
really, you know, a broom handle
No shoe numbers on our shoes
in the window, only on the boxes inside.
You want shoe numbers, go to Thom McAn.

I left my shoe store job to push myself to become a writer
I'd do the Famous Writers class
and support myself with freelance writing
Writing about the wild times I never had before
and become a famous writer myself.
Wandering aimlessly, writing down what comes to mind
I'd hone myself, I'd whet my pen,
I'd learn to write and then
Watch out, world. This mild-mannered writer
is seeking a wild-mannered time
Who knows, maybe some day I'll live in tony Greenwich,
or bohemian Greenwich would be more like it...

- By Anthony Buccino
Adapted 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
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THE OLD GUYS HATED ME

My gal said
it was because
of my youth
of my health,
of my long life ahead.
I could tell
they hated me
because of my long hair
and their crew cuts,
my carefree hippie ways
and them buried by bills.

Most of them had seen service
in World War II or Korea
and they cheered at world unrest
that might reach my high draft number.

Those old guys hated me more,
if that was even possible, with all
their angst and venom boiling over,
when I was crowned their boss.

- 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

MY EYES

I gave you my eyes
So that I might
Have a place to
Lay my weary heart

And this is
How you treat me
As a worthless lowlife

When I go postal
You get the first stamp

- By Anthony Buccino
Copyright © 2010 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved.

- Variant of WHEN I GO POSTAL; first published in Medusa's Kitchen
in 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
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YOUR ALL

You've given
the company
your all
You're empty.
They are through
with you.
Go away.
You have
nothing
left for them
to take from you.
You have
nothing to give.
You are an
empty vessel.

- 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.
******************

SADSACK

Not too long ago
You were ashamed
When you were
Out of work

If you had
Any pride at all
Being out of work
Sucked it all away

And you hung
Your head low
Like a sadsack waiting
Until the very day
You found work

Not too long ago
Before you got canned
You could see it coming
Other workers got raises
Others got promotions
And you were left behind
So when they let you go
It was no surprise at all

Not too long ago
You’d open up the paper
And find some jobs there
Mail out resumes or go down
And wait for the call back
But that was not too long ago
Nowadays nothing’s
Like that any more

- 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.
******************

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.

FINALLY

Finally morning arrives
after the restive night
away from the moments
that stirred this soul
in a cauldron of misspent efforts
the deeds undone,
the work to do
the deeds half done,
the work to re-do
the lapses in judgment
when you did those things you do
And now you can’t take it back
and they stir you from your sleep
like that cradle in the top of the tree
each night before morning
when the wind blows.

- 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.

FIRED

fired for not bleeding
the company colors
fired for not reading
the boss's mind
fired because the boss
spent all the company
money at the bar

fired because the boss
stole all the money
fired because the boss
took his girl to Aruba
with her new boobs
fired because the rent
wasn't paid
fired because your paycheck
kept bouncing
fired because there
was no one minding the store

- 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.

AIN'T LAZY

You don't know me, that I can see
you judge me anyway, that's okay
but you should know
that wherever I go
I work my share,
and then some, too,
because I ain't lazy.
I work hard, you know.
Just that me and bad breaks
keep smashing our heads
and that's why I'm here
starting over
to work at your job
and prove I work hard.
You will know me
by the work that I do

- 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.

TELL THE WIFE

You know what,
I'd rather tell her
I’ve been running around
Carousing with loose women
Drinking myself stupid
Tripping old ladies on the sidewalk
Kicking our dog
And firing rocks at strays

I’d rather wear a tuna suit
in an alley full of cats
Tell her I’ve been to the moon
Joined the Navy to see the world
Been called to fight on a foreign shore
Got abducted by aliens
Ate the last piece of pie
Put back the soda with one swig left
Left the seat up again
Took up a killer addiction
Lost the rent money playing pinochle

Oh, God,
I'd rather tell her anything
Anything at all,
Than tell my wife
I’ve been canned

- 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 © 2010-2014 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved.
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Book covers

Most of the poems on this site have been collected in one or more of the following books.

Copyright © 2010 by Anthony Buccino, all rights reserved. Photos and content may not be used for commercial purposes without written permission.