My Blog List

Friday, March 21, 2014

A Day in the Back-end World !

I sit in a room with grey walls on all sides
With what little source of sunlight, been shut aside
It seems to me just like a box
My heart is sinking and mind-blocked.
With no source of positivity, no sign of hope, I’m losing my identity slowly
Just like the wilting buds, in the stagnant water on my desk, which refuse to grow.

As the clock ticks eleven, people hurriedly flow in,
Praying this morning there is no mail in their bin.
The slaves clean the system, all dirty and stale
And make sure everything is in place before London’s morning eight.
As the clock ticks eight, no sounds heard now
The queen and her army are ready to take charge now.

Slowly and gradually as the day progresses
My hope for the future further digresses.
Then falls a bomb on the Indian ground
The queen’s officer doesn't like his mistakes that you've found.

"I am the officer not you", he would say
"Now make sure everything is done in my way".
He makes me change all ‘caps to small’,
All ‘small to caps’, just to prove he’s the boss.
We work in collaboration as a team, they would say
Only to do things always their way.

Annoyed by his ways, I can’t do a thing
And curse myself for being a part of this back-end team.
Finally, when I am out of this gloomy mood
I escalate it to someone, who sings a completely different tune.

“Come on Pooja, this is not back-end
Can’t you see we are working end-to-end”.
I thank God, for not getting me into the trap
And making me understand that there is a big thinking gap.
He is doing is job well and I'm doing mine
I might have done the same, had I been on the other side.

I return to my desk, and again start doing the crap,
Cutting, copying and pasting more efficiently, to prove this time I’m in his trap.
But deep down inside me, my inner voice is mocking and telling me the truth
How much effort you put in, this work will surely not bare your desired fruits.
And reluctantly, I sit down, looking at the screen
Pretending  to do things which to me really don’t mean.

My friend and colleague, sitting to my left
Understands my mood, and knows all times I’ve wept.
He knows it well that I’ve topped in college, and in previous jobs done well,
Only to be placed among the company’s best.
He understands that this place seems to me like a jail
Of which I’ve been trying very hard to get out but have almost failed.
He tries to console and motivate me, and says tough times would end
And in this gloomy gray cell, thank God I have a friend.

Thank God there’s a team that leaves at five
Only to remind me of the ticking time.
Three more hours left for this miserable day to end,
"No hang on Pooja", I tell myself,
Only two-and a half, before I go down for dinner with friends.
Finally, I work efficiently and try wrapping up my work
Missing the tea break and the gossips world.

The last one hour is crucial for the queen’s man,
Not sure, what he’s been waiting for all day, before revealing his plans.
And there rings the phone, that has been dead all day
Its half past seven, “I hope I’m not too late” 
“No, not at all”, I tell him,
But my inner voice nays “You are just in time to spoil my date”.
“All you have to do is update the changes that I’ve made,
That wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes, had I been in your place”.
All I can do is grumble to myself,
Curse myself further, for working in this collaborative hell.

It’s already eight and the clocks have been ticking faster now
The cab driver has been calling to ensure, that I’ll be there before eight fifteen past.
I ask him to leave, and continue with my work.
Clocks are ticking even faster now, it’s soon ten-thirty and my phone begins to ring
This time it’s my proud mom, who motivates me further for taking all the pains.
It’s only on submitting my work,
An out-off-office mail tells me, that my officer would be “enjoying the next three days in Spain”.

His acts only belittle and demotivate me - for being a part of this back-end team
Disgusted and frustrated with this job, I walk down the floor
Only to pass charts at eleven at night that say “We are best in class for maintaining the Work Life flow”.

6 comments:

  1. well written...... thanks for penning down your thoughts ..which I hear often

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, interesting read Pooja..feelings are well expressed..nice ending..do keep writing..

    ReplyDelete
  3. U expressed the day long feelings of millions of people in the industry in such a beautiful way. Keep smiling

    ReplyDelete
  4. Its a very gud example of writing where various aspect of dis back-end world are described wid intelligent writing.
    Feelings at different situations and office hours are explained in such a way dat every individual will find this his/her own story.
    And above all, Pooja... You have given a classic finish to this poem which I liked the most...
    “We are best in class for maintaining the Work Life flow”

    ReplyDelete
  5. LOL :D

    This is one of the few poems on the net that I actually understood! You definitely have a way with words and should write more poems like this. I enjoyed it :)

    Destination Infinity

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very well written...but I am intrigued by the thought of a sequel to this poem. Anything in the pipeline yet? :D

    ReplyDelete