Another Day, Another Dollar
Another day, another dollar
One more shout, one more holler
The daily grind of humankind
Early rise, before the sun
Shower, dress, then gotta run
The worm goes to the early bird
Sounds real nice, but quite absurd
Not even six, the roads are packed
Knuckles white, just don’t react
Whether driving in or driving home
The traffic jams on every road
Blaring horns, tempers rising
Nothing new and not surprising
Bottlenecks that lead to wrecks
Darkened tunnel, deadly funnel
My commute is not a pleasure
Don’t get me started on the weather
A hint of snow, and here we go
Some will crawl while others speed
Others weave like centipedes
I watched in horror, hold my breath
Silently pray there’s not a death
Luck is nice, until the black ice
Sliding, slipping, and a sudden stop
The wreckage waiting for a cop
Ten cars, no twenty, could be more
It’s like a bomb; a highway war
Nothing moves, we just park and wait
The sun keeps dropping, getting late
Darkness brings a different view
Might as well look, nothing else to do
Barren branches against the sky
An owl goes hoot, a raven cries
Then hope is seen, one lane moves
Cars start going, things improve
Maybe crawling, but at least it’s moving
Bit by bit, it starts improving
Pass the wreckage, then smooth sailing
Until in my mirror, someone tailing
On my bumper, seems for no reason
Cursing the act of highway treason
Changing lanes to let them pass
Almost clip me as they slam the gas
Another day, another dollar
Growing stress, while pay seems smaller
Deep in the night, my house in sight
Stumble in, shake off the cold
Bones are hurting, I feel so old
A warming smile, and the smell of food
Children laughing, a better mood
The table set, makes for quick forget
Workday worries, piling flurries
Shut them out, along with doubt
Trade the strife, for family life
Another day, some time to play
Precious hours, like blooming flowers
Those sounds and the sights
Are the best parts of life
Additional Reading
R.J. Schwartz is an American Poet and Author.
His complete works on The Creative Exiles Website can be found here
The Gypsy Thread is a huge collection of his original work
Ralph also writes on HubPages
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- Imprisonment - November 14, 2023
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I sure remember those days of commute when it really put a lot of stress on me. Then that minute I got in the front door of home, the kids, the pets, the sounds and warmth of home all relaxed me. Your poem brings it all back in a quick paced, skillful way with phrases that jump right at me. Great piece, Ralph.
It is nicer to find our way back to play and family. Sadly I still commute and I drive the children to sporting events but I still try to find some time for fun. Jamie
Always better to be at home. I live that commute everyday minus the snow. But when it does snow oh man, people suck. Nice work Ralph