Adversity, contention
Every day the tension
So thick it polluted the air
Backbiting, tearing down
The belief and faith
Of work, hard work
Unoticed
Personal lives, shattered dreams
Packed up in the briefcase
And brought to the job
I was the first one that caught it
I was the first one she had seen
For weeks
Every effort undermined
Respectfully I took it all
Trying harder each day
I thought maybe I was weak
To be spoken to like a dog
To be torn down behind my back
To say nothing and ignore it
My temper flared
I spoke up
I told her to back off
Even at the risk of my job
Every thing I had done
Was erased by one angry person
Who was angry at the world
It was my turn
Even though I knew
I had done nothing wrong
My mistakes were human
She hated me for no reason
This person I had worked with
For 5 years
Now could not stand to be
In my presence
And had no valid reasons why
So I
Simply said I was sorry
And that I would continue to try
To be myself
To be a person of good spirit
And to create a positive statement
In everything I did
Whether At this office
Or another
And today
I recieved the biggest bouquet of flowers
With a card that said
Thank you
For all you do and have done
Your hard work and your friendship
I appreciate you so much
With tears in my eyes
I put the bouquet on my desk
To display the peace offering
To the world
With easy harsh words
I could have destroyed her
With easy mean thoughts
I could have brought her to ruin
With easy gossip
I could have ended her reputation
As a person of authority
But then I wouldn't have recieved
The blessing
Of flowers from the enemy
Who is now a humble ally
In the future of my dreams