I'm glad you left joke poems for a while. I had never thought of this subject the way you have here. The first thing I thought of was everyone's, "bucket list."

There are bucket lists of conquest like you describe, where everyone is bragging or beating their buddies to the next mountaintop or Guinness world record. And then, there are bucket lists where people give themselves to charitable acts and helping out their fellow man/woman. I prefer the latter. Your poem speaks to the former.

I guess that's why I never engaged in poker games, bowling or golfing because it always degenerated into one-upmanship. And why I encourage all authors to do their best and not try to get a bestseller alright more books than the next.

Ron7

Hi Tom, most encompassing in Shakespearian terms, though not wholly in theme but certainly in format to the Bard of Avon's "All the World's a Stage". Another title for yours could well have been: "Conquer Thyself First". Here's the paradigm:


All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything

....But then, Tom, yours is just as original. Bravo!

When I was working in the Canadian government, I witnessed people fighting daily, calling each other's names. They would gather their own favourite friends in groups to attack the person whom they don't like. Even within the group, they would backstab each other to try to get ahead. The politics in the workplace ran high daily.

I was in an acting position. They had borrowed me from the Canada Customs to work there because of the workload they had. I went there but people filed grievances for me to be working there. I gained my knowledge when acting in certain positions. I was supposed to be there for a couple of years, but I went from one position to another, gaining knowledge in between. For me, it was nothing to lose, and everything to gain, because I did not belong to them, my home base was with the Canada Customs and I may go back there any time I liked. People backstabbed me too. But later the department and our levels were phasing out, moving the lot of work to Sudbury which I didn't like to move to, so everyone was phasing out, but you know who stuck up for them 'til the end doing 6 people's jobs? - ME!!! I was loyal to them 'til the end! I was there doing all the training for people who didn't have the accounting credentials and the experience to do the job which was phasing out. Some people did not wish to learn, or some were just not good enough to take on new skills. It was the most frustrating time in my life, but I stuck out for them 'til my early retirement.

After I took the package to retire early because of my husband's illness I found out that my husband didn't really need the extra funds for medical care, as most were paid for by the Canadian OHIP system and my extended healthcare from the insurance from my work. I had time to really sit back and wondered all that striving and the dedication of my work was really worth enduring all that backstabbing from others. If only people would think twice before they backstab each other to get ahead, they would realize that all that striving and backstabbing would just lead to nothing when you retire, just a phase of your life when you needed to work to support yourself. They could have had a friend in me instead. I often think about the people who had backstabbed me - Where are they now? Have they retired already? Are they having the same thoughts that I'm having?

Well, just letting off some vents here. I think you know why. Your poem was intriguing.

Sandie

P.S. Some people would still stay at their misery levels after they've backstabbed me, their characters speak for themselves.