armed at last with an accurate description

Yesterday, on the Writers Almanac, there was a poem that describes to a T what happens to me at meetings.  Armed at last with an accurate description, I will continue to look for a cure (though I believe in my heart the only remedy is to skip them).   In the meantime I post it here in case you missed it.

At the Very Lengthy Meeting

 

by Kevin McCaffrey

 

At the very lengthy meeting
I actually felt my soul leave my body
and rush toward the ceiling—
and fly around the walls and flare
toward daylight, toward the windows—
to throw silently its impetuous emptiness
against the glass in vain.
It could not go anywhere, the clear moth.

Then it lay on the rug, not exhausted
but bored and so inert that it almost—
though nothing—
took on a hue, stained with all the breaths
and words and thoughts that filled the room:
the yellow-green color of old teeth.

 

P.S.  the photo above has nothing to do with the poem, it's of one of the old stone walls on N1700 road in Douglas county.  Sometimes in a meeting I pretend I am walking on that road rebuilding the walls.  I do that so things won't come out of my mouth that I am likely to regret later. 

 

 

Comments

[jacki long]

Perfect!
A survivor of teacher's meeting ad infinitum here,
so an authority agreeing ... a perfect description.

[Heidi]

Meetings -- blech!

On a cheerier note -- your new blog header is cheerful and Springy!

[emie]

Insert "party" (with lots of people) for meeting and it's fitting for me!

[Judy H.]

Ha! Love the poem. :)

[Maureen]

I once spent a FULL day in a windowless room discussing each and every word of a proposed mission statement. More processing than any soul can take.

btw, that poem reminded me to make a dental appointment for a cleaning!

[Vicki in Michigan]

One of the joys of retirement is no more meetings.

I don't remember reading about this one in all the retirement books I read, but it is a true feature of retirement!

[Joanne]

oh man I can totally relate to this poem....going to put it in my planner!

[Joan]

I have never heard a positive review of any "meeting". All say they are bored to death, ready to pull hair out, some play games on smart phones, some draw. So my question is this? If they are so ineffective and so dreaded, why are there meetings? Do they accomplish anything, are they productive? It would seem not to be so.

I couldn't bear meetings that results in the poem you've shared.

[crystal]

What I often refer to as paralysis through analysis

[Annie]

Well, that's much more mature than rolling your eyes at co-workers as I have been known to do.

[LILYLOVEKIN]

I can't say I have to go to many meetings but I know I feel this way trapped in conversations with certain individuals!