Hi Tamar and All,
I found the ultimate source. Thanks to the person who suggested searching using Google (duh, why didn't I think of that?)
In 1998, on line magazine Salon asked readers to submit haikus to replace soulless error messages. This is reported in the book: Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wicked Good Prose By Constance Hale.

Thanks Tamar and to all. I'm calling off the search, I think I have what I need now.

Best, Chaim

Here's a link to the book--see page186:
https://books.google.com/books?id=j7DLaRz6GroC&pg=PA186&lpg=PA186&dq=Your+life%27s+work+has+been+destroyed&source=bl&ots=TKg_9ByvDr&sig=DAgUUCBo2AmHoWSojzO5FXE64NA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjh7IvL9aLMAhVSID4KHVufB3AQ6AEIJDAC#v=onepage&q=Your%20life%27s%20work%20has%20been%20destroyed&f=false