I arrived at work one morning and my boss took me aside
He said: “We’re in a bad recession and we’re on the downward slide”
I’d known for quite a while that their funds were not abundant
Yet still it was a shock to learn that I’d been made redundant
I cleared away my desk and mug and logged off my PC
And we all went to the lunchroom and we had a cup of tea
I said goodbye to friends I’d made throughout my working years
Then I bought the local paper and I checked out the Careers
There were jobs for Anthropologists in curatorial roles
There were jobs for agile ladies dancing naked around poles
They were looking for a specialist in caramelizing nuts
They’re still looking for a stylist down at Canterbury Cutz
There were vacancies in real estate, if you like to sell
Or for Senior Developers who know their SQL
I saw one in Logistics but when I double-checked the ad
I decided that I’d flag it as the pay was really bad
I’ve applied for twenty jobs for which I knew that I was skilled
I’ve received just two responses saying “Sorry it’s been filled”
We’ve received a lot of applicants with CVs that impressed
But we thank you for your interest and we wish you all the best”
Some they simply don’t reply, they let you sit and wait
As we read the dire headlines of the unemployment rate
And so my life of government dependency begins
I’ve packed away my resume and headed off to WINZ
Claire Jewitt 