Nine to Five Life

Dolly Parton summed it up best.
All taking and no giving.

Wake up at the crack of dawn.
But it's cold, and the bed's warm.
Only time for one coffee.
Got to get on the road.
Work is two towns over.
Waiting in traffic for an hour.

All at some dreary office.
Vague mission statements.
Counter-productive procedures.
Managers between extremes;
Neglectful, or overbearing.
Lots of work to do,
But it makes little sense.
And it's a never-ending process.
The phone's always ringing.
Especially at lunchtime.
Or at home time.
Always sales callers. Vultures.
Violating the right to disconnect.

Closing time. The same traffic.
Can't be bothered cooking.
Don't want to do anything.
Can't get to sleep.
I have to be up again.

Friday night. I need a drink.
Saturday morning. I'm up early.
But I wanted to sleep in.
I could write, but I feel so numb.

Repeat. For the next two score years.
This isn't my career. I don't have kids.
All I'm doing is making a living.
If "That's life", I don't think much of it.

In fact, I reject it.