Embarrassment exacerbation

Anyway, it happened a bit like this.

When I first arrived at my current place of employment, I realised that they have a 'policy' of CV sharing. So quite a few of my colleagues have read my CV, which says something ambiguous about me being a published poet (hey, you can post anything on the web!).

If that wasn't embarrassing enough, it's customary for a new employee to be introduced Bridget Jones style over email to the rest of the company. (This is Penny. She likes cider and poetry, and has six toes). So it became known in a few small circles that I write bit of poetry on the side.

One of the girls downstairs (in hell/sales and marketing) discovered one of my odes on t'internet and asked me if she could include it in our in-house newsletter, of which she was editor. Being a newby I said yes. Nothing more was heard of said newsletter for over a year, until, last week, a chunky PDF plopped into my inbox. And as my most frequent commentator requested more poetry, I offer you this.

Sweet like chocolate
The thing that surprised me most,
after your death,
was that I still liked the taste
of chocolate.
I had been warned that
everything would taste bitter.
But no,
chocolate tastes the same.
And life is all the worse for that.