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Alan a BBN Pre-Sales Engineer 
prepared for a product demo in a 
Marriott headquarters conference room.
His large smooth baby-face was red
cursing loudly the new functionality that was brain-dead
and pounding the keyboard didn’t help.
A sales guy swearing at what he’s selling
what are his chances of success?

Al had a yellow Corrado 1990 VW coupe
got a speeding ticket in Connecticut
got mad and kept speeding then
got another ticket before leaving the Land of Steady Habits.

Alan left BBN for a frame-relay start-up named Cascade
he invited me to get in early 
I said I was happy at BBN but my life would have been millions
had I joined in with him.

A couple years ago, Alan joined Sonus
when I saw his baby face older by twenty-five
he seemed like a kid in a mask.