On the Firing Line

When does a manager
Decide to cut his losses,
And fire someone
Who is blatantly incapable
Of doing his job?
Back in the United States,
It might be safe to assume
That the person
Will eventually find a position
More suitable to him,
But here in Iraq,
That isn’t necessarily true.
There are few, if any,
Other positions available,
For Iraqi citizens
And in a very real sense,
The manager is firing
Not only the employee,
But the employee’s family
Including his wife, his children,
Possibly his brothers
And sisters, aunts and uncles,
And maybe even
His grand children as well.
He is killing not only
The worker’s hopes
Of a better tomorrow,
But also the possibility
Of an education in a good school
For the man’s children,
And maybe the wife’s dream
Of a new refrigerator.
It is a matter that must be
Carefully weighed,
For the decision is fraught
With consequences.