Finding the words for work

When I think about work I am reminded of Phillip Levine’s poem, “What Work Is,” about how it gives a typical I B Singer answer to a topic that eludes classification. Besides, the quote from Clarence Darrow reminded me of the play, Inherit the Wind.

Double checked

Levine standing on the hands of Singer
tried to explain the Nobel prize
to his brother. Not Singer’s brother
someone else’s he mistook for him
standing in the rain
misunderstanding the holocaust
that would not leave his mind,

waiting for work to divert his mind
thinking all along that the truth
revealed in Tennessee
saved the fools who knew better
from another day of chess in the park.

But this bit of doggerel probably comes closer to the gist of the prompt:

Leadership at Work

Don’t worry about the climate
Were running out of oil
That’s okay we’re short on water
Which is twice as bad

And the newly crowned queen mocked:
“Let them smoke dope!
We’ll put the well drillers in jail
for... Blowing smoke up our pipes!”

Political decisions are not so hot
You might say slippery solutions
Made by folks who are all wet.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.