Power

by Cheryl Merrick

Grasping for power
   he bellows orders
   demanding that
   impossible deadlines be met.
With threats he is determined
   to bend his employees
   to his will,
thereby making
   his company a success.


But as the weeks grind on,
   his workers become
   more subdued,
   and one by one,
   they begin to quit.
He watches as
   discontented customers
cancel orders,
   and profits decline.

As his desperate attempts
   to force his employees
to higher performance levels fail,
   he puts in longer hours,
but nothing seems to slow
   the downward spiral.
Finally his business folds
   leaving his hands outstretched
   and empty.