David Brownstein

My daughter recently attended a farewell party for a friend and colleague at Amdocs where she works. Many tributes were paid to David Brownstein, the man in question. He grew up in Ilford, a suburb of London. He then married and moved to South Wales before coming on aliyah twenty-nine years ago. He worked in education and subsequently elected to take up a position as technical communicator at Amdocs eighteen years ago. His farewell address to his colleagues in the company included a poem which he read out in his rich English accent. My daughter forwarded this poem to me.

With his permission, I share it with you.

Lynette Karp

When they hear that I'm retiring

People can't resist enquiring:

“So, tell me: just what are your plans?” they say.

I always answer: “I've a few;

But the first thing that I'll do

Is get up and not go to work today.”

I would love, with a companion,

To visit the Grand Canyon;

It's the greatest natural wonder, so they say.

But it's probably too far go-

to distant Colorado;

So I'll settle for not going to work today.

I'm a fairly musical fellow

And I'd love to learn the cello;

There's that set of suites by Bach I'd die to play.

But, even if I don't start bowing,

There's a comfort just in knowing

That I'm going not to go to work today.

There are six or seven new

Strains of beer I plan to brew

And a host of breads I can't wait to assay.

I'll extend my education

In the arts of fermentation,

Just as soon as I don't go to work today.

One reason I feel remiss is

I've never read Ulysses,

Even though I've looked out over Dublin Bay.

So, to drown in dear James Joyce's

Stream of consciousness voice is

On the books when I don't work today.

I've decided what a lark it'll be

To try my hand at marquetry

(That's the craft of making art with wood inlay).

And to prove that I'm sincere,

I've bought the knives and the veneer.

Oh! I can't wait not to go to work today.

I've long thought: “What could be nicer

Than to study Schubert's Winterreisse?

I've a big, fat book and two CDs to play.

So I hope to gain a fuller

Grasp of these settings of poems by Muller

The very moment I don't go to work today.

At this point, folk get explicit:

“Are you really not going to miss it?

All the deadlines? And the canteen food? And the pay?”

For me, Amdocs' saving grace is

Your friendly, smiling faces....

....But I'm still not going to go to work today!