Joseph Toep

Joseph Toep was the first one at work
And us order givers looked for him there:
A clean shaven young face, an out spoken Turk,
Pressed into a shirt by his darling wife Claire.

And he never missed a beat or a line.
And he never dropped a bomb or a ball.
And ears pricked up sharp to hear him opine
“How ‘bout this?” and we’d listen, one and all.

Yes he was a better than average guy,
Still lesser than us, but more than his race.
And yet we each feared his meteor rise
And prayed for his star to fall from its place.

But then, after this year’s performance reviews,
His name topped the damned promotions list!
And wonder of wonders, after hearing the news
Joseph Toep took a mail knife, and slit his own wrist.