I remember working days
so grueling and tiring
that food was engulfed
and necessary for survival.

Those were the days
I was in shape
and felt great
as I grasped
sandwiches, french fries
and soda
with dirty
and bloodied hands.

Though the work
has continued
on the path
of the unbearable,
now it's
everything else
that suffers.

My body's aging
makes it ache
while the mind's
lack of use
is frustration realized.

Though monetarily
not very profitable
a hard day's work
building or cultivating
is one that appeals to me.

At the end of the day
I ask myself
"What have I done today?"
and somewhere along the line
I forgot the pain
of cuts and sore hands
helped me remember
what I did do

because now
the few burns
on my arms and hands
from waiting tables
will never mentally mimic
that feeling
after a day
with meaningful hard work.

03/03/2009

Posted on 03/03/2009
Copyright © 2025 Jeffrey Parren