On Being Late

They liked the old retiree, though he was a little gruff,

They had hired him ‘cause he seemed smart and surely knew enough.

And they were right. He mastered all the work they gave to do,

And it wasn’t long till he became “the one who follows through”.

He did so well at all his work, for a while, they just ignored

His penchant for arriving late. ‘Cause he always kept his word.

One day, the boss had had enough and called him in to talk.

The man said, “I know why you’ve called, it’s really not a shock.”

“I know I’m late, I’m trying, but it’s harder than you think,

“I’ll do my best and I’ll improve, I’d rather swim than sink!”

His boss just shook his head and frowned. “What did they do before?”

“Did your boss just look the other way when you came in the door?”

The man just smiled. His grizzled face had turned a little pink.

“They said, “Morning, Admiral. What would you like to drink?”

Today is a poetry challenge from Karen of Baking in a Tornado.

The topic? Be Late for Something Day. Okay, yes, the official date was September 5.

We're late.

See what the other challengers had wrought!

Karen of Baking In A Tornado: White Rabbit and Me
Dawn of Cognitive Script: Better Late Than Never, Right?
Lydia of Cluttered Genius: Better Late than Never