.lifer Poem by NikMorgan ...

The clock on the mantle
Is a constant reminder
Reminding him of who he once was
Recollections of when he worked hard
And when he mattered
35 years a company man
He worked his way up
To middle from bottom
Forgot his friends and family along the way
Such was his commitment
His thankless obsession
Work was his life
He lived to work
Overtime became all the time
Now those days are gone

The clock on the mantle mocks him
Every tick-toc feels like a taunt
The clock on the mantle belittles him
Every chime seems like it’s laughing in his face
The clock on the mantle is all he has
A clock on a mantle for a lifetime of work