Wasteland

I watched him sitting at the outdoor café

next to the busy city sidewalk,

he wore an old suit and sipped calmly on his glass of wine,

like he was enjoying an afternoon of leisure.

 

But I saw the unemployment envelope in his suit pocket,

guess he thought no one would notice

while he tried to hide that fear in his eyes

by sitting in the place he used to have lunch

when he had a job and dreams.

It was when life still hand ladders to the sky

and he thought himself a skyrocket of business,

soon to explode in the air as brilliant and successful.

 

Today he was holding in the panic,

suppressed that dread from losing his position,

kept himself busy pretending nothing was wrong.

 

So amazing how a few recollections

from an interview could inspire my thoughts,

still I remember our meeting

at the time I applied for work with his company,

all that confidence and ambition glowed in his eyes.

 

Wasn’t hired, though later got hired by a different company,

then read in the paper his firm had gone out of business.

There were no words I could think to say

plus doubted he would remember me.

Truly did eat at my heart to see

another life once filled with visions,

suddenly shattered and left in the wasteland

where you wander while barely better off

than the completely poor,

yet having been gutted of your tomorrows.

 

Might not be death,

though wasn’t living either,

just an island of uncertainty

left feeling so stranded, shocked and alone.