Excited,
Better Angel Earth Inc., Geo-Science Department Director,
Mark Whyler, looked at email in-box,
and opened Messiah Environmental Laboratories Inc.
laboratory analysis results for a drinking water sample
obtained from Liz Percy’s Canadensis, PA
home drinking water well,
contaminated by a Home Heating Oil, #2, spill.
With raised bushy brown eyebrows,
Mark expertly perused the analysis report,
pumped victory fist to air,
and with R.F.K. accent, hollered,
“Yes, yes!
The analysis report shows unacceptable
levels of trimethylbenzene 124 and135
in Liz Percy’s drinking water well.
Hooray!”
Co-workers silently scoffed Mark’s headstrong joy;
but they too were (sort of) happy with an opportunity
to start work on “Environmental Phase 2 Site Assessment,”
have guaranteed “billable hours” for at least
until Halloween 2015!
Luckily, no dedicated Better Angel Earth colleagues
caught a glimpse of sulking Tom Bemeal,
the company’s only PA Certified Professional Geologist
who sat aloof at desk, and wanted no part
of Whyler’s unabated billing (invoice) celebration.
Yet, Tom Bemeal hoped for the best.
Catholic by sacrament only, and by decade experience,
he knew environmental disasters and pollution
meant ballooning profits for service firms like his,
“All cleanup companies have to profit,” he whispered.
P.G. Tom had not gotten a raise for two years,
and during prejudiced “salary review sessions,”
boss Mark Whyler always importuned him to
“light a fire beneath your certified ass
and get more remediation work for the company’s sake!”
Tri-methylbenzene in Liz Percy’s water well –
uninsured and meager savings in bank,
soon a Department of Environmental Protection approved
cleanup plan and juiced cost proposal faxed to Liz…,
one that would force a re-mortgage (loan) on her home!
Vatican City S&L thousands of miles away from office,
Tom understood why gentle Francis of Assissi wanted
to preserve the ecology of the Earth,
“but did Whyler do good by celebrating more oily water?”
Uncharacteristically,
in defiance of everything noisy and superior to him,
Tom put shoeless feet upon desk,
tapped fingers upon P.C. keyboard, shrugged,
he wrote,
“Dear Mr. Whyler, I fear a share of the company’s current
prosperity is not due to me, and I respectfully resign.”
On computer screen, look there before disappear!
Signature of a certified hydro-geologist who could not
take anymore data-driven u.g./L. shit.
(Despite wife and three grade school kids to support,
Tom Bemeal never felt better about himself
and I pass his geo-conscience onto a new generation
of investors and Aleutian Island elk)
Source