Layoffs: A Poem

The Founder and Investor

The sun was shining on the S&P,
  declaring might is right
Doing its very best to make
     the graph move up and right
and this was very odd, because of 
     layoffs left and right

The Founder and Investor
      Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
      Such quantities of man:
‘If these were only cleared away,
      The profits would be grand!’

Could AI learn to generate
      the same results in time?
‘Do you suppose,’ Investor said,
     ‘AI could get it near?’
‘I doubt it,’ said the Founder,
      And shed a bitter tear.

‘O Talented, come work with us!’
      The Founder did beseech.
‘An honest day, for honest pay,
      and something world changing:
‘We cannot do with anyone who
     won't self-train and compete’.

The eldest Talent looked at them,
      But never a word they said:
The eldest Talent closed their eyes,
      And shook their wary heads —
Meaning to say they did not buy
      the message they were fed.

But younger talent all signed up,
      All eager for the feat:
Their dreams were neatly folded up
      merged with Founder’s dream —
And this was odd, because, you know,
      he hadn't any dream.

The Founder and Investor
    scaled their profits high,
And when the profits slowed a bit
      they called their Talent nigh:
And all the aging Talent stood
      And waited in a line.

‘The time has come’, the Founder said,
      ‘To talk of many things:
Of work — and thrift — and cutting fat —
      oligopolies — and kings —
And why innovation's falling off —
      And hallway co-working.'

‘It seems a shame,’ the Founder said,
      ‘To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
      And made them work so quick!’
The Investor said nothing but
      ‘The costs are spread too thick!’

‘I weep for you’, the founder said:
     ‘I deeply sympathize’
With full responsibility 
     he laid off those of largest size

Holding his apology
     Before his tearless eyes
‘O employees’, Founder said
     ‘We’ve had a pleasant run!,
      Shall our top performers carry on?’
But answer there came none —

And this was scarcely odd, because
     He’d laid off every one

Note: The above was inspired (with direct quotations borrowed in some cases) from Lewis Carrol’s: The Walrus and the Carpenter