deepundergroundpoetry.com
The Work
I walk in the door after another long shift
Im exhausted
7 days a week and still struggling to make ends meet
Responsibilities dominate my entire life
A pressure to keep everyones head above water
Reduced to nothing more than a machine
Im exhausted
A machine on auto pilot going through the monotony
Day after day, a neverending cycle
Work, sleep
Rinse and repeat
Im exhausted
Time becomes a blur
What day is it?
What month?
These concepts become increasingly irrelevant
Im exhausted
The work is all that matters
The work is all that exists
Im exhausted
The work keeps me going
The work gives me purpose
Im exhausted
Its the internal struggle that tires me
Its the fight to not end it that wears me out
Every smile has a thought of death behind it
Every laugh has my demise in its wake
Im exhausted
Never a break from the onslaught of self loathing
Voices begging for me to give up the fight
A greatest hits montage of all my failures plays on repeat
Showing me how much I deserve to die
Im exhausted
The pain of living eats at me
Every new sunrise brings disappointment
Every night the hope of being the last
I hate myself and this miserable existence
Im exhausted
The work is all that matters
The work is all that exists
Im exhausted
The work keeps me going
The work gives me purpose
Im exhausted
I head out the door to another long shift
Im exhausted
7 days a week and still struggling to make ends meet
Responsibilities dominate my entire life
A pressure to keep everyones head above water
Reduced to nothing more than a machine
Im exhausted
A machine on auto pilot going through the monotony
Day after day, a neverending cycle
Work, sleep
Rinse and repeat
Im exhausted
Time becomes a blur
What day is it?
What month?
These concepts become increasingly irrelevant
Im exhausted
The work is all that matters
The work is all that exists
Im exhausted
The work keeps me going
The work gives me purpose
Im exhausted
Its the internal struggle that tires me
Its the fight to not end it that wears me out
Every smile has a thought of death behind it
Every laugh has my demise in its wake
Im exhausted
Never a break from the onslaught of self loathing
Voices begging for me to give up the fight
A greatest hits montage of all my failures plays on repeat
Showing me how much I deserve to die
Im exhausted
The pain of living eats at me
Every new sunrise brings disappointment
Every night the hope of being the last
I hate myself and this miserable existence
Im exhausted
The work is all that matters
The work is all that exists
Im exhausted
The work keeps me going
The work gives me purpose
Im exhausted
I head out the door to another long shift
Published 4th Jun 2024
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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comments 6
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Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
4th Jun 2024 3:20am
I understand. In a way, to live is to die. I think we just have to combat that with positives, how little there may seem. You work to live, and the work gives you purpose but then you have to come face to face with the rot inside of you. Even then coming face to face with the rot, you are pushing it down so you can keep working to live. Fighting this war is exhausting and hard and really really shitty, especially with all of the crap going on in our world today. But you have to keep fighting, if not for you, for others. This might be a bit brutal, but the depth and weight of pain you are feeling now, will forever be with them too, if you leave. You are not alone. We are not alone. I'm proud of you for all of the little and large things you have accomplished.
You have become quite insighful, girl. Your words resonate with me and show an understanding and wisdom beyond your years. I know, without any doubt, that you are destined to do some good things. The traits in you combined with the experiences you have had, adds up to a beautiful human being.
Thank you for being a voice of encouragement that I truly need right now. We are not alone. This is what its all about. No one gets left behind.
Thank you for being a voice of encouragement that I truly need right now. We are not alone. This is what its all about. No one gets left behind.
Anonymous
4th Jun 2024 10:12am
It’s that gentle repetition of ‘I’m exhausted’ that drives home the real emphasis of this poem, and it just breaks me a little bit. Sometimes the weight of it all can be such a fkn struggle. I love that you face that thought with a huge amount of trademark realness. Though I’ve come to expect nothing less from you.
I don’t think you give yourself enough credit for what you do for others, quite often at the cost of yourself. Hashtag just sayin’.
Sending tea in abundance. Because that solves a lot of things.
-M
I don’t think you give yourself enough credit for what you do for others, quite often at the cost of yourself. Hashtag just sayin’.
Sending tea in abundance. Because that solves a lot of things.
-M
5th Jun 2024 5:34am
Thank you Missy for your honest critique. Im happy that you are able to see the realness in my writes. Not pretty, not fancy but they are always authentically me.
Im working on the credit thing. Thought tbf Ive been working on ot for a long time. I appreciate you just sayin' it though.
Ill take some tea but hold the heavy cream.
Im working on the credit thing. Thought tbf Ive been working on ot for a long time. I appreciate you just sayin' it though.
Ill take some tea but hold the heavy cream.
4th Jun 2024 12:23pm
It funny how this poem reminded me of one of mine that I wrote a long time ago. I'll post it here to show you I know exactly how you feel.
"There are times when rest eludes me
There are times when peace is running from me
There are times when your world feels like it's tumbled, and no amount of cement can repair it
I don't want Times
why do we have to feel every ache in every pain of this world
Why must we deal with the negative status projected on us
I am tired. Not just tired
I'm tired all the way to the nucleus of my cell."
"There are times when rest eludes me
There are times when peace is running from me
There are times when your world feels like it's tumbled, and no amount of cement can repair it
I don't want Times
why do we have to feel every ache in every pain of this world
Why must we deal with the negative status projected on us
I am tired. Not just tired
I'm tired all the way to the nucleus of my cell."
5th Jun 2024 5:36am
Thanks for sharing your write Fia. Definitely puts off a similar vibe with regards just being exhausted to the core. Beyond just a physical tiredness. Hope we get some rest at some point.
