Work From Harm

By:

Jaqi

Loye-Brown

This poem is an expression of my disdain for corporate working life. Day to day life spent in the company of colleagues and the investment of time trying to navigate ‘office politics’ and it’s culture. When the lockdown enforced work from home, I look back at why I changed career to this before the pandemic. Lives and mental health matters when it should have before. I have poems published with indy pub MT Ink. I submitted a poem One Way Ticket To Lockdown for Untitled Writing Salon which was well received.

I made it my business some time ago to work from harm
When office politics impotent I was powerless to play
Scorned, socially marginalised?
Me? How dare they.
Each heavily burdened day
I side step, out fox games
Colleagues coerced to play

Nothing more that could be gained
With heavy heart boxed up the pain
Empowered on my terms
Reprogrammed my brain
Careered off grid
The safe space of calm
Indoors, coffeehouses or online
Productivity maximised
Achievements mine
I work from harm

Then

The inconceivable shattered
corporate calamity
Invading work ethic efficacy
I gambled to tread ahead of the curve
Blue sky thinking slowly shrinking
En masse we work from harm

Lost,
Loss
Rescued
Saved some
Changed some
We wait the outcome
It matters, we work from harm

Become a Member

Our Members are champions of literature. Their support makes our engagement work in schools and prisons possible and they enable us to celebrate literature in all its wonderful diversity. As a thank you, we give them all the joys of a literary festival and book club rolled into one, all year round.

Work From Harm

More from Poems

Heathrow Airport Toilets

HOW TO BREATHE

Moments

Become a Member

Sign up to our emails

Our Socials

Quick Links

Policies