A Pome a Day for a Year

8:00am, later than normal, but still ‘on time’.
How about getting paid for the travel time?
Why does work need free time
for free, for an underpaid job?
Maybe other careers allow later starts
or factor in a pay more?
Maybe. Not this one.

Back in, back on, back out
if you would, just an immediate need
for a holiday, even though
you just finished ten days away.
Never enough. Never, ever, enough.

Already the weird inconsistencies start,
the plans others made for you
and the third parties fury at you
not aware of them. I will help,
but I gotta know what I am helping,
because none of this, with wild gesticulations,
is making any sense to me.

Constant need for reiterations
are scraping layers onto my body,
tree rings vanish with my sanity
as I tread the water of empathy
and motivation.
My hat of care is on the floor,
and I am loathed to put it on.