Paradigm Shift

The water pitcher with ice
only made appearances
when important people met
there around the conference table.
It didn’t use to be that fancy.
Used to be folks came in to chat,
shoot the breeze,
share a joke and a cup of coffee,
talk about the weather.

But he came from somewhere else.
A place of dry cleaned shirts
and strategic conversations,
where you leveraged your engagements,
and looked out for paradigm shifts.

He told me once I needed to think bigger:
BIGGER House (But I like my little cottage.)
BIGGER Office (But mine overlooks a salt marsh.)
BIGGER Car. But how will my feet reach the pedals?

Was that out loud? I wondered,
sipping, bemused, from a slippery glass.

Poem ©2017, Jen Payne. National Poetry Month, 19.