Poem: From the Back Bench to the Writing Desk

I was a frontbencher in school and a backbencher in university, which contributed to my successful corporate career. Today, I sit at my desk, alone, writing stories and this poem.

Poem: From the Back Bench to the Writing Desk

Backbenchers have one thing
Their backs to the wall
They would always fight back
But in their way —
Out of earshot and line of sight
The limelight within the four walls
Too bright, too shining for them
And right in the front —
They won’t be petted and needn’t be
They are cats to the front bench pups
Out in the open, below the blue sky
Out in the field, when a race is to be run
The self-made heroes make the cut
In real life, the pups become pups
The cats become the dare-devils
I was a pusillanimous pup
Topper in class but the trip to Joka
The realities started to bite
Where the weeds made sense
In that smoke, I became realistic
The backbench was furthest from the door
Discovering the gift of the gab
A sales leader I become —
Public speaking and all
Shaping my corporate jaunt
Today, I am back to my hole
Resilient as ever, but ever so reticent
Speaking through my keypad
And avoiding the public eye
Hiding between the covers
Of printed pages
A journey from the front bench in college
To backbench in Joka and corporate
And my writing desk in solitude
I have seen, it seems, all.
~Ashok Subramanian © 2025