(Published in The Daily Herald, Provo, Utah, 10/28/00)

Paul Tripp writes a weekly genealogy column called “Puzzle Pieces.” He often encourages people to write their personal histories, and as an example, he described something that happened to him recently. He did it in poem form for reasons he did not explain. His regular, non-columnist job is selling fluorescent bulbs and other lighting products to businesses, and in this incident, he had received permission from an employee to demonstrate a bulb, except the employee changed her mind half-way through and got her boss to get rid of him.

(UNTITLED)

Naked on the ladder
Up on the ladder,
Changing fluorescent light bulbs,
The boss’ son walks up,
Red with anger.
“Get down from that ladder,
And leave the building!”

That makes my day in selling,
Don’t get an order here,
‘Cept to get out.
I’m mad at him,
He’s madder at me.

The company woman
Who said I could show
My bulbs,
Is gone.
Slick. Gone, and left me
Naked on the ladder.

Feeling dumb,
Nobody to see
My nice new bulbs,
I depart,
In shame.
I mumble.