Sluice

All you can see is the spray
from the car that's leading the way
an occasional glimpse of a line
your only chance to divine
the lane in which you must stay

everyone's done for the day
forgetting what they did for pay
the downpour dampens their drive
they focus on staying alive
and navigate the gray.

Outgunned

Must life be a team sport?
No, but it's hard to hit the boards
when you can't even reach the court
against opposing hordes.

Proven

Uncertainty insinuated
I wasn't up to snuff
Scrutiny intimidated
So severe and gruff
Tenacity reciprocated
I still got the stuff.

Screwy

Ever tightened something down just to learn
you went too far and then the hole was stripped
but still you gave the screw another turn

in hopes that somehow threads securely gripped?
Although the truth is easy to discern
we seldom see it till the switch is flipped

and we've done things for which we'll probably burn,
despite how far away our soul has slipped
we still will give the screw another turn.

Remanded

I felt my focus dimming
until I acquired a job
and now my thoughts are swimming
with What’s this thingamabob?

careening towards September
I forfeited the key
and soon I won't remember
that I was briefly free

Stepping it Up

A rhythm can be simple or complex
the challenge is to get out there and move
ignoring all the stagnant types that vex
your chance to get into the perfect groove.

On the Line

Yes you must assess
how much to undress
and how much of the mess
to address

aye it takes a good eye
along with fingers that fly
and a propensity to pry
to rise high.

Erect

Don't stall
Plan well
Your rig
Stand tall
Give hell
Build big.

Conundrum

How quickly a year
can just disappear
it leads me to believe

that time is a lie
and facts we deny
are chances we cannot retrieve.

Night Vision

Though the sun's begun to sink
it's not as late as you may think
despite the darkness day's not gone
until we see another dawn.

Packaging

How many have to die
in order to get wi-fi?
just ask the cable guy

they will cancel every tree
for spotless boxes are key
when tweaking receptivity.

Keeping It

I keep asking myself What is real?
then try to touch but never really feel
and when I look I never seem to see
a shadow of the man I used to be

but then the doorway opens and two joys
come running in and make a lot of noise
embracing me so hard I say "Gee whiz!"
and then I realize what real is.

At The Ready

The water casts reflections in the window where I sit
and watch for any type of sign that tells me not to quit
I've led a life more ordinary than I care to say
because I never had the guts to make a decent play

so now I'm tethered to a desk, a doggie on a chain,
it beats constructing boxes but I struggle to maintain
an attitude that's positive while waiting for the crack
I'll hear before the corporate whip makes mincemeat of my back.

*gulp*

The clouds are an ominous hue
as dark as a venomous brew
a witch would cook up
and serve in a cup
to turn someone's insides to goo.

Trouper

It was just another job
and he was just another slob
they paid a petty wage
that Uncle Sam would rob

performing on the stage
like a monkey in a cage
while swallowing derision down
along with dormant rage

awakened by the clown
that sports a would be crown,
but he just taped another box
and tried to hide his frown.