Bad Boss Poem
You drew me in
With words untrue
But as time went by
I became confused
One minute you were happy
And the next you were sad
You disguised any truth
And I imagined I was bad
But I persisted in faith
And did the best I could do
I tried to keep communicating
Even when I couldn’t get through
By now I was buried
In deep thick mud
Silenced into submission
An unflowering bud
How do I choose
Whether to leave or stay
Will my bad boss win
And keep ruining my day
I’ll do my research
And reconnect with my network
I’ll manage the transition
And find a way to make things work
I’ll understand
What I have to lose
Ethics and honesty
Will help me choose
I will not be swayed
By false charm or obligation
I’ll remember my strengths
And resolve this situation
It may not be instant
And take longer than I’d like
To truly be me
I’ll find my right
Even if my decision
Takes me backward
I’ll stand resolutely
And then move forward
Like every challenge
I’ve faced before
I will overcome
Of that I am sure
On 18 January 2025, I received an email from a person in Australia which mentioned that they had read my poem on Domestic Violence and they felt it mirrored a similar experience they had been having in their workplace. They were concerned that younger people may not be aware of these issues and they asked if I would consider writing a poem related to workplace violence.
I wrote back to this person and they provided a list of challenging workplace behaviours and these are alluded to in the above poem. For confidentiality reasons, I cannot provide their name or details or their type of workplace, but I would like to sincerely thank them for reaching out and raising this issue.
When so many people leave a workplace because of a ‘Bad Boss,’ I could easily associate these types of behaviour with the theme of domestic violence.
If you are struggling in your workplace, if you have access to an Employee Assistance Program (which is confidential), then I encourage you to start there. If not, consider other forms of counselling and support to manage the situation or manage your transition to a new role. I welcome feedback, insights and comments! With love, Sue Ellson 🙂
Photo: Inlaid compass on the entrance floor of the Mission to Seafarers building at 717 Flinders Street, Docklands Victoria 3008 on 22 January 2025.
#badboss #workplaceviolence #SueEllson #SueEllsonPoem #poem #poetry
Shared on Commissioned Poems, Poems Page, Instagram Page, Publications Page, Archive.org Facebook Page Instagram Google LinkedIn Page LinkedIn Profile Pinterest Twitter / X
See my other poems here or subscribe to the monthly email newsletter to receive links to the latest publications.