Clock in

Neck pinch

Screen glare carving out my name

Blue light

Black cough

Brown stains in a paper cup again

Doctor says "sleep more"

I nod, then tap my badge

Fluorescent sky above my head

This swivel chair

This body bag

TIMECARD IN MY VEINS

Punch in, bleed out, same thing

Trading lungs for a paycheck

Heartbeat tied to the boss's ring

If I don't slow down I'll disappear

But I'm scared of what I'd see in the mirror

Timecard in my veins

Timecard in my veins

Lunch break

Two pills

Swallowed in the stairwell dust

Breath short

Hands shake

Typing through the tremors

Rust

Slack ping

Blood sings

Left arm humming like a wire

"Just push through"

I push through

Feel my chest flicker like a dying fire

TIMECARD IN MY VEINS

Punch in, bleed out, same thing

Trading lungs for a paycheck

Heartbeat tied to the boss's ring

If I don't slow down I'll disappear

But I'm scared of what I'd see in the mirror

Timecard in my veins

Timecard in my veins

Tell my mother I was busy...

Tell my friends I lost the thread...

Tell my body it's a business expense...

Write "fatigue" on the worksite of my head...

If I quit... who am I?

If I stay... how long?

If I die at my desk one night...

Will they just replace my log-in...

Keep going...

TIMECARD IN MY VEINS!

Punch in, bleed out, same thing

Trading lungs for a paycheck

Heartbeat tied to the boss's ring

If I don't slow down I'll disappear

But I'm scared of what I'd see in the mirror

Timecard in my veins...

Timecard... in my veins...

Clock in... clock in... clock in...