STOP!

Work, eat, sleep, repeat
Work, eat, sleep, repeat
Work, eat, sleep, repeat
STOP!

Stop what?
Stop why?
Stop how?
STOP NOW!

Because each night you lay you out
And each next morning raise you up
To walk abroad among the legions
Of stones, all varying hues, unmarked.

We are all of us
Unmarked
Our efforts?
Un-reviewed.

Because no one of us is The Star
We are all bit-part players here
Too anxious to be thrown a line
Or two.

But still we strut and fret upon an empty stage
Before an empty house
Our ‘out damn spot’ and ‘summer’s day’ comparisons
Are pearls cast…

STOP!

And there’s no point in playing to ‘the gods’
The auditorium’s an illusion
The lime-lights were never lit
It’s not that they’ve burnt out.

And anyway, we know the truth–
Our well-rehearsed, little improvisations don’t count.
And no self-appointed critic is un-floored
So…

What now then?
Enjoy your bed
And don’t tick out your time
In existential dread.