On a typical Tuesday afternoon
The three convene in their usual spot
Water cooler chatter will begin soon
Usual suspects: Gwen, Danny, and Scott
And the anonymous audience, me
A role I would happily relinquish
If another cubicle became free
Which I must say is certainly my wish
“I mean he’s completely inept,” says Gwen.
“Can’t believe they don’t fire relics like him,”
says Scott. I roll my eyes. Not this again.
“Yeah, Robert belongs in a museum,”
says Danny. “He’s a total dinosaur.”
I sigh. More complaints about the old guy.
And here he comes, they shush, laugh, then shush more.
“Could one of you guys help me? Don’t know why,
But my monitor screen just won’t turn on,”
pleads Robert. The gang makes their excuses.
Robert moves along, but before he’s gone
I stand, “I’ll help fix whatever it is.”
We walk and some snide snickers fade away.
Tightening a loose cable is all it takes
I’d wonder how it got to be that way
But I know it’s the sabotage of snakes
Robert claps my back as the screen turns blue
He squints through glasses, nods, and grins at me
“Thanks! You young fellows all know what to do.”
And I smile back, for it’s quite clear to see
They’ve got it all wrong: Danny, Scott, and Gwen
Robert is no dinosaur, nowhere close
He is instead the best sort of human
honorable, honest, what matters most
Wrinkled appearance, kind on the inside
Hardworking, disciplined, and humble too
Greater wisdom than working Google slides
Not someone to scorn, but to look up to
But there are a few office predators
Cold blooded with skin that’s reptilian
Big headed, sharp toothed velociraptors
Who I hope are headed for extinction
About the Creator
D.K. Shepard
Character Crafter, Witty Banter Enthusiast, World Builder, Unpublished novelist...for now
Fantasy is where I thrive, but I like to experiment with genres for my short stories. Currently employed as a teacher in Louisville.
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Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
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Original narrative & well developed characters
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Niche topic & fresh perspectives
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Comments (12)
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I am so glad I'm not in an office anymore, I hated that shit! You nailed it!
Such a great story! So sad that agism is often an un-noticed and a more acceptable hate crime which dominates in our culture.
a role I would happily relinquish if another cubicle became free - a love how much that tells us about the setting and the character. I also really enjoyed how you turn it back to the dino theme in the last two lines too.
This is FANTASTIC. As thoughtfully gracious as it is eloquent- would that there were more folks like Robert and you, and less like the three predators!!
Ah, D.K. this is lovely!! For all of us oldsters that have unwavering work ethics and struggle a bit with computers, you did us proud!!!
I felt so sad for Robert 🥺 I wanna squash Danny, Scott and Gwen into extinction! Loved your poem!
This is a well deserved poem. Oh great!
Compelling morality tale, DK. As a fellow oldster, it’s heartening to read your take on this sort of office drama!
Loved the rhythm and rhyme of your brilliant take on dinosaurs 🤩✅ Great underlying message too… ‘ Robert is no dinosaur, nowhere close He is instead the best sort of human honorable, honest, what matters most.’
Your vivid portrayal of Robert as a figure of quiet dignity against the backdrop of callous coworkers is both moving and thought-provoking. The metaphor of office predators as velociraptors is particularly striking, adding a sharp critique of modern corporate culture. Thank you for sharing this impactful and resonant piece.
Fab! Absolutely fab! Poor old Robert. I'd have helped him too. I don't know why people have to be so snide!
This is a great take on the dinosaur theme. I love the last few lines talking about office predators. It's absolutely cold-blooded, you're right, to sabotage someone or snicker behind their back like this. We could all become obsolete as tech moves on. Great poem!