7 april 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2699: The Daily Grind

Morning alarm breaks the silence,
Half-awake, I reach to stop it.
Coffee brews as I brush my teeth,
Yesterday's mug still in the sink.

Train doors close too quickly,
Shoulder to shoulder with strangers,
All of us staring at phones,
No one meeting eyes.

The office chair knows my shape,
My desk cluttered with forgotten notes.
The clock moves slow before lunch,
Races after.

Emails pile up faster than I clear them,
Meetings that could have been messages.
My back aches from sitting too long,
My mind wanders to open windows.

Routine wears paths in our days,
Like water over stone.
We call it making a living,
This trading of hours for dollars.

Sometimes I wonder what I'm saving for,
While spending what I cannot keep.