Accountable As Incumbent
We continue to admire the example set by our
high ranking official at work, she stayed home,
claiming heated argument with siblings injured
her health, she is a mess; won't do anything as
boring and trivial as come to the office
As she gets paid a large salary and car allowance
whether she comes to work or not, never fills in
a holiday or sick leave form to declare absence
because she has none left - yet everyone else
is constrained to live by bureaucratic rules
We just sigh longingly and wish we were given the
same freedom to do as we please, never comply
with the request to account for every breath, to
prove where we've been and explain where we
are going, wondering how it came about
That she was elevated above the Chief Director,
higher than the Minister, absolutely beyond the
requirement to be accountable as incumbent -
maybe she is related to the Queen of England,
such a fitting description for our illustrious
Madame La Pompadour, her bizarre behaviour is
condoned and encouraged in our Department -
though her burlesque is entertaining, she has
failed to gain any followers as yet, we seem
to be unable to learn anything from
Her continuous barrage of weird excuses to
explain her frequent absences - what is
WRONG with us?
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Related quotes
Exemplary And Lavish Extravagance
Aaah, Madame La Pompadour needs time off
from the office they had built her, soundproof,
air-con, and everything she wants inside, today
she plays chauffer to the children in her neigh-
bourhood and visiting her mother in the old-age
home - she condescendingly told us - though
there is really no need why we should know
where she is, she is the free incumbent
Madame La Pompadour suffers agoraphobia
at home and claustrophobia in the office, her
problems are debilitating; she needs a bigger
office of course, with user-friendly interior
decorating - I sigh in admiration, such a very
exemplary and lavish extravagance, with the
cool presumption that a James Bond would
envy her, she does what she wants
Madame La Pompadour looks down on the
mundane civil servants - us - who man the
open-plan office, why should she earn her
salary like a slave when she gets it without
ever leaving her home?
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Queen à la Marie Antoinette
Come, let us toast, today and evermore,
Madame La Pompadour - Queen à la
Marie Antoinette - of Civil Servants
When continuous absence without leave
was revealed Management refused to be
blamed and called her breach of Labour
Regulations a regrettable psychiatric event
managers prove they were innocent by
rewarding her innovative behaviour
Building her a new office so she can come
and go as she wants, accountable to no-one,
no manager thus in dereliction of duty
Let us toast the eternal reign of the Miracle-
Working Madame La Pompadour, Scourge
of all Government Departments
Teaching common, inferior civil servants the
meaning of her New Imperial Reign over
Labour Relations!
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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A Prima Donna
Madame La Pompadour cannot come to work,
the world is spinning out of control, her dog
needs medical attention, her car cannot start in
the morning, her dog needs another vet, now
Madame Pompadour's newly built office is
empty - it was given as a compelling condition
for her return to work, yet it seems something
is lacking still, can we guess what it is
Maybe a chauffeur to drive her to work every
morning, a special kennel next to her office so
she can bring her dogs to be with her all day,
maybe a built-in a humidifier so she can breathe
freely without germs, maybe a Jacuzzi so she can
get rid of the tension right here at work, maybe
her own cook and kitchenette so she can order
the right meals with the same aplomb as
A Lady Gaga, surely Madame La Pompadour has
already dethroned both Madonna and Lady Gaga
for being a prima donna who gets her own way!
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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See Not At All
The high and mighty lady who seldom
honours state office with her graceful
presence told Madame De Lafayette,
supervisor - off for follow-up tests
Still not coming to the office while the
rest of us are threatened with legal
procedures should we violate any
regulation pertaining to absence
Stunned by these double standards
some openly mimicking Madame La
Pompadour's haughty manner - the
Calvinistic work ethic of colleagues
Enabling them to do her work also, no-
body lodges a complaint; such good
officials, used to oppression for no
apparent reason other than
Management's inefficiency which only
intimidate the law-abiding while serial
offenders are untouchable - best is
to see La Madame not at all…
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Madame de la Pompadour (Revised)
Madame de la Pompadour puts Darcy’s condescending
aunt in ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Lady Catherine de Bourgh,
to shame by being more arrogant than said worthy Lady
ever was when scolding the poor into harmony and plenty
Madame declines to come to work like we poor peasants
yet regards Mary Poppins disdainfully, judging her useful
discovery of an element of diversionary fun in boring
jobs a doddle that is wanting in every ethical respect
She’s blissfully above ethics involved in rigidly maintaining
State policy regarding personal leave, stays home indolently
claiming social life ineffable excuse to remain insensitive
of mutual obligations towards her State employer
Scolding one and all into administrative prowess and bland,
textbook translations finely tuned to dissonant registers in which
the original score was produced - while emitting clouds of smoke
that would be the envy of a Cruella DeVille planning to
make coats from Dalmatian skins; Hannibal Lecter in ‘Silence
of the Lambs’ would be proud to claim her acquaintance as
fellow cannibal and Pollyanna, who routinely finds excuses for
delinquents, failed come up with quaint innovative pretexts
making a catch-all smoke-screen valid for the Madame’s
continuous absence – only Sherlock Holmes would be able
to find dysfunctional clues particular to which mental screws
are loose in Madame’s imperious imbalanced indolence…
[ORIGINAL]
Madame de la Pompadour puts Darcy’s condescending
aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice to
shame by being even more arrogant than that worthy Lady
ever was when scolding the poor into harmony and plenty
While Madame cannot come to work like the rest of the
poor peasants; she regards Mary Poppins with a disdain-
ful eye, finding her discovery of an element of fun in every
job that has to be done, wanting in every ethical respect
While blissfully ignorant of the ethics involved in following
State Policy regarding leave, gaily stays at home claiming
her social life as valid excuse for remaining obtuse re obli-
gations towards an employer, scolding one and all into
Administrative prowess and bland, textbook translations
finely tuned to the dissonant register in which the original
score was produced - while emitting clouds of smoke that
would be the envy of a Cruella DeVille planning to make
Coats from Dalmatian skins, Hannibal Lecter in Silence of
the Lambs would be proud to claim her acquaintance as a
fellow cannibal, Pollyanna always finds excuse for every
delinquent, but even she can no longer come up with
Pretexts that would make a valid smoke-screen for the
Madame’s continuous absence – only Sherlock Holmes
would be able to find clues as to which screws are loose
in Madame’s unfathomable mental processes…
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Mystified
We are spell-bound, gripped in the clutches
of a mystery of mind-blowing proportions:
Where is Madame La Pompadour, why is
she still gone, why did she SMS on gastro-
intestinal upset and lamenting her
awakening at twenty past eleven
Will she ever return to the office again, will
Human Resources one day carry out its
warning that she is not an asset to the govern-
ment, receiving a salary for no work done; one
long, continuous absence while others do
her job, when will she look at us
Disdainfully again, with the assured arrogance
of one used to command and only rising from
her bed if she feels like it - not very often; what
excuse will she offer next if her health does
not keep deteriorating: buying a night-gown
for mom, geyser burst during the night
A tree to be chopped down, car won't start, dog
to be taken to the vet; she feels depressed
and must see a psychiatrist, she overslept -
like today, her list of excuses being very re-
petitive - How long will Human Resources
and Management keep us
Happily engrossed in guessing the steps to be
taken to deal with the situation, will they give
her merit for the most persistent absentee
encountered in government service, creating
a marvelous plot more complicated than
an Agatha Christie suspense novel
Reminding of ‘They Came to Bagdad' - a
young girl lied all the time, when she finally
spoke the truth no-one believed her - we
are all riveted by the unfolding of this mystery
fascinated and mystified by the daring
exploits of our own Madame
Showing cowards how to go once started
on the road to flaunt the establishment,
we can only shout encouragement:
Way to go Madame, Good Luck!
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Care For The Elderly - A Conference
They gather in the Greeting Place
A smaller flock than once expected
Still elated - out from work and office
All around - the empty space
Is pressing on the keen - collected
Taking pointers - out from work and office
Inside the hall there is small trace
Of anyone to ‘stand corrected'
They're all working - inside work and office
Still curtains drift - in finest lace
The certain eyes not disaffected
Hide behind the lace of work and office
And speakers high in group embrace
Speak on and clap in unelected
Fluffy tones of every Higher Office
The higher speakers high disgrace
Is hid below their undetected
Lack of use - their waste of work and office
In keening grief - tears hid from face
A speaker - practical - affected
Brings human life within their work and office
And human thoughtfulness will base
Its Older Care on need selected
From that shown - away from work and office
Its time to fix he High and chase
By methods certain - unsuspected
Out form power - out from work and office
Foregather - follow to their base
See them - incestuous - connected
By wires unseen - inside work and office
27Mar2011 CPR
poem by Charlotte Peters Rock
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Tales Of Horror and Suspense
Madame Pompadour honoured us by graciously
informing the Department a terrible bug bit her in
the neck during the night, must have been Dracula
we immediately surmised, she a Damsel in distress
trying her best not to waste her time with the rest
of us plebs in the open-plan office, her door must
have been open and the evil monster attacked
perfectly on cue; mesmerised by the marvellous
adventures of our haughty Madame keeping her
head high while one event is followed by the next
incident; her list of original excuses is growing and
soon we shall publish a book delineating the lovely
progress of her exciting life, enlivening bureaucracy
with tales of Horror and Suspense!
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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Dont Explain
Billie holiday / arthur herzog jr.
Hush now, dont explain
Just say youll remain
Im glad your back, dont explain
Quiet, dont explain
What is there to gain
Skip that lipstick
Dont explain
You know that I love you
And what endures
All my thoughts of you
For Im so completely yours
Cry to hear folks chatter
And I know you cheat
Right or wrong, dont matter
When youre with me, sweet
Hush now, dont explain
Youre my joy and pain
My lifes yours love
Dont explain
song performed by by Billie Holiday
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Them' and 'They' Are There
'Them' and 'they' are there.
And you...
Are here!
How do you explain that?
'Was that a requirement?
I did not think that I should,
Explain!
And even if that was someone's expectation,
Who would demand I comply?
Who seeks to bestow upon me their approval?
I suggest,
If you know 'them' and 'they' are 'there'...
And I am here not caring.
Perhaps you should find out from them,
Not me...
As to 'why'?
Since you get nothing else here,
But direct eye contact!
And that wont be for too much longer.
There are deeds I must accomplish.'
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Dont Explain
(b. holiday/a. herzog, jr.)
Hush now, dont explain
Just say youll remain
Im glad youre back
Dont explain
Quiet dont explain
What is there to gain?
Skip that lipstick
Dont explain
You know that I love you
And what love endures
All my thoughts are of you
For Im so completely yours
Cry to hear folks chatter
And I know you cheat
Right or wrong dont matter
When youre with me, sweet
Hush now, dont explain
Youre my joy and pain
My lifes yours love
Dont explain
song performed by by Diana Ross
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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To People in High Public Office…
Keep God as first: All things will fall in line!
Keep health second and earthly life is fine;
Keep labor third; hard-work gives success prime;
Keep truth as fourth: wealth will perish with time!
Work for the nation and your fellow-men;
Work for the upliftment of all brethren;
Work zealously: don’t steal from men, women:
Remember your account-day to heaven!
Just keep the code that God has set for all;
Sins of all kinds become a mighty wall;
Corruption is your ‘cancer’ without cure;
Accountable is everyone for sure.
Don’t kill a human being unjustly;
Don’t use your ‘high-office’ much selfishly;
Let vice not rule your body, heart and mind;
Live by your conscience: all joys you’ll find!
Copyright by Dr John Celes 1-16-2010
poem by John Celes
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Dont Explain
Arthur herzog jr, billie holiday
Hush now, dont explain
Just say youll remain
Unless youre mad, dont explain
My love, dont explain
What is there to gain
Skip that lipstick
Dont explain
You know that I love you
And what loving does
All my thoughts are real
For Im so completely yours
Try to hear folks chatter
And I know you cheat
Right or wrong, dont matter
When youre with me, sweet
Hush now, dont explain
Youre my love and pain
My lifes your love
Dont explain
song performed by by Nina Simone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Brokenness
They still wish to find,
A soft exit for their flaws.
With someone or somewhere...
They wish to lay the blame.
As to why they've left their foundations,
In shambles and shame.
Somehow excuses have to be found!
To explain the mess,
They have left all around!
They still wish to define,
Their deeds as just!
With a quality of life squeezed and dried.
From an economy ruined,
And busted from rust.
That have left themselves the ones criticized.
But they try to explain away,
Their absence of knowledge.
Hoping the existence of it...
Slowly drifts and fades.
With no one feeling betrayed!
Even with the credentials of those...
Who profess to have experience.
With some of them with law degrees.
And many who claim to be scholars...
Who teach their skills in college!
But none can use simplistic common sense...
To prevent a brokenness they have created.
Although 'hate' is what they seem to do best!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Mirrorshades
Here are a few notes from the underground.
Load them at your pleasure.
These are the dusty pictures that I found
While on my search for treasure.
Here is the hazy vision that I saw,
Heres what she said to me:
For a scientist I am too raw
I know all about you cant you see?
She said dont be making no provocation
Unless youre ready to handle the nation
Im cold and Im bold and I dont do what Im told.
She wore mirrorshades.
And I cant explain the thing about her mirrorshades.
But I know that I cant live without her mirrorshades.
And I kind of lose my mind about her mirrorshades.
And the strange attractors that surround her.
Remember as you bust north at her call,
That you can never doubt it.
No matter what you cannot have it all,
cuz she leaves home without it.
But in the darkness where we both were caught,
In the heartbeat of el nido.
I had a vhs for her to slot
And now I never want to go.
She said now youre here, youve got to show and prove,
And do that dance until it dont move.
The phone doesnt work so you wont be calling home.
She wore mirrorshades.
And I cant explain the thing about her mirrorshades.
But I know that I cant live without her mirrorshades.
And I kind of lose my mind about her mirrorshades.
And the strange attractors that surround her.
She was so absolutely digital,
To jack in now was wrong.
But cupid punches deck with chemicals
While dark madonna sings her song.
She wore mirrorshades.
And I cant explain the thing about her mirrorshades.
But I know that I cant live without her mirrorshades.
And I kind of lose my mind about her mirrorshades.
And the strange attractors that surround her.
Mirrorshades.
song performed by by Information Society
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In Her Dark Citadel (Revised)
I am so glad to be led by Madame Pompadour,
her employees are irksome self-motivated prigs
dissatisfied as their central value, the ethic of
the hard-working Calvinist, showing a lack of
ambition; is trampled beneath Madame's feet as
only dishonesty pays, she is ashamed of her
underlings; she says
Madame Pompadour shows grand ambition by
sneering at work ethics and showing utter
disdain for everyone except her own arrogant
self, she spreads the bitterness eating away
at her soul by destroying work enjoyment, re-
lationships and processes, she thrives
on discontent
She detests the culture of her underlings, their
behaviors, attitudes, assumptions, beliefs; it's
an affront contravening her ideal of sharing un-
happiness equally; she stamps on undue diligence,
the unspoken, unwritten rules followed by those
coming in early, leaving late, making every
due date
She counteracts them by staying home, not
being on time, shouting at clients and service
providers alike, playing cards at work; this is
her way to fulfill ambitions her behaviour
proclaims, belittling everyone without rank
or status to fight injustice when she rates
them badly or refuses permission to leave
She runs her world to her satisfaction, no ethic
or moral principle is brooked in her reign of
terror, making a stand Voldemort would envy,
a representative of Nietsche's Ubermensch,
hooray for Madame La Pompadour - supreme
in her dark citadel!
[ORIGINAL]
I am so glad to be led by Madame Pompadour,
she says her employees are irksome by being
self-motivated prigs who are dissatisfied as
their value of a hard-working Calvinist ethic,
shows a lack of ambition in a world where
only dishonesty pays, she is ashamed of
her underlings, she says
Madame Pompadour shows grand ambition by
sneering at work ethics and showing utter
disdain for everyone except her own arrogant
self, she spreads the bitterness eating away at
her soul by destroying work enjoyment, work
relationships and work processes, she thrives
on discontent
She detests the culture of her underlings, their
values, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes and be-
haviors, are an affront that contravenes her ideal
to share her unhappiness equally, she stamps
on undue diligence, the unspoken, unwritten
rules followed by them by coming in early,
leaving late making every due date
She counteracts them by not being on time,
staying home, shouting at clients and service
providers alike, playing cards at work, this is
the way to fulfill ambitions, her behaviour
proclaims, belittling everyone without rank
or status to fight injustice when she rates
them badly or refuses permission to leave
She runs her world to her satisfaction, no ethic
or moral principle is brooked in her reign of
darkness, making a stand that Voldemort would
envy her, hooray for Madame La Pompadour, the
embodiment of Nietsche's Will to Power -
in her dark citadel!
[Based on an article found on the Internet, Voltaire's
Candide and with a reference to Voldemort, the evil
protagonist in the Harry Potter series by JK Rowlings]
http: //humanresources.about.com/od/organizationalcultu re/g/what-is-culture.htm
Culture is the work environment supplied for employees.
Employees are motivated and most satisfied when their needs and
values are consistent with those manifested in your workplace
culture. Culture shapes work enjoyment, work relationships and
work processes.
A particular culture is developed by the employees who work in a
company. Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying
assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group of people.
Culture is the resulting behavior when a group arrives at a set
of unspoken and unwritten rules for working together.
The manager controls the key factor necessary to add to motivation,
her relationship with each employee. The second factor is creating
a work environment that fosters employee motivation and engagement.
poem by Margaret Alice Second
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After Working Sixty Hours Again for What Reason
The best job I had was moving a stone
from one side of the road to the other.
This required a permit which required
a bribe. The bribe took all my salary.
Yet because I hadn’t finished the job
I had no salary, and to pay the bribe
I took a job moving the stone
the other way. Because the official
wanted his bribe, he gave me a permit
for the second job. When I pointed out
that the work would be best completed
if I did nothing, he complimented
my brain and wrote a letter
to my employer suggesting promotion
on stationery bearing the wings
of a raptor spread in flight
over a mountain smaller than the bird.
My boss, fearing my intelligence,
paid me to sleep on the sofa
and take lunch with the official
who required a bribe to keep anything
from being done. When I told my parents,
they wrote my brother to come home
from university to be slapped
on the back of the head. Dutifully,
he arrived and bowed to receive
his instruction, at which point
sense entered his body and he asked
what I could do by way of a job.
I pointed out there were stones
everywhere trying not to move,
all it took was a little gumption
to be the man who didn’t move them.
It was harder to explain the intricacies
of not obtaining a permit to not
do this. Just yesterday he got up
at dawn and shaved, as if the lack
of hair on his face has anything
to do with the appearance of food
on an empty table.
Refresh, Revive, Renew
Refresh, revive, renew...
And declare yourself,
You!
Detached and removed,
From a confusing deprivation.
Blocked and unlocked from it!
You can not return...
To burn.
To learn from consequences,
You alone earned.
Refresh, revive, renew...
And declare yourself,
You!
Back from a lack of confidence.
Unstrapped from incidents.
Caused by hasty indeciveness...
Rushing to prevent any form of movement.
Condoned and now done with it.
Refresh, revive, renew...
And declare yourself,
You!
If done now...
Your future becomes even brighter.
Even the light held you hold,
Can be held even higher.
Higher
Higher
Higher still!
Refresh, revive, renew...
And declare yourself,
You!
You are that spark,
Igniting to glow.
Show more of it!
Refresh, revive, renew...
You.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Forms (Fun Poem 38)
Our lives are filled with forms
we have to fill in, almost on a daily basis.
Most want a detailed description
of our entire life.
Date of birth, date of death.
You silly iriots if I was dead
I wouldn’t be filling in this form!
What about some of the other silly questions they ask.
There is always one or two.
What gender are you male, female or other.
If other, please explain.
I scratched my head.
I am a cross between a mongoose
and a little green man.
Why must they always put other
when they ask a question?
How do you get to work,
walk, bike, bus, train, car or other.
A friend came across that question once.
He simply ticked other and then went on to explain
that he went to work on an egg.
Now about these forms
that seem to dominate our lives.
During our lifetime,
we probably fill in enough forms
to stretch around the world and back again
if they were placed end to end.
Writer’s moan about writer’s cramp,
I moan about form cramp and that is that.
poem by David Harris
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Universal Freedom Is......
Freedom from hunger and freedom from pain
freedom from loss and so freedom from gain.
Freedom to give and freedom to share
freedom from want and that of despair.
Freedom to think and freedom to know
freedom to achieve and freedom to grow.
Freedom from bondage and freedom of liberation
freedom from ignorance and any unknown situation.
Freedom to come and freedom to leave
freedom to stay and freedom to conceive.
Freedom from struggle and freedom of ease
freedom to enjoy and the capacity to please.
Freedom from failure and freedom of success
freedom from denial and freedom of access.
Freedom from illusion and freedom of reality
freedom to become what we are in actuality.
Freedom to live and freedom to die
freedom to laugh and freedom to cry.
Freedom to speak and freedom to listen
freedom to act based on a wise decision.
Freedom from hate and freedom of love
freedom of below and freedom of above.
Freedom of the past and freedom of the present
freedom of the future and what it can represent.
Freedom from war and freedom of peace
freedom to begin and freedom to cease.
Freedom from sickness and freedom of health
freedom from poverty and mishandled wealth.
Freedom from wrong and freedom being right
freedom of the day and freedom of the night.
Freedom to choose and freedom to reject
freedom to imagine what there is to expect.
Freedom from lust and freedom from greed
freedom from anger and freedom from breed.
Freedom from jealousy and freedom from pride
freedom from within and freedom from outside.
Freedom of always not having anything to hide.
Freedom from space and also freedom from time
freedom from attachment and freedom from crime
Freedom to work and freedom to play
freedom to believe and freedom to pray.
Freedom to experience a rebirth someday.
Freedom from the body and freedom from the mind
freedom from the ego and freedom from being blind.
Freedom of transcendence being of the spiritual kind.
Universal freedom is eternal and infinite bliss
we should all therefore be able to realise this.
poem by George Krokos
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