Jerry Brotherton Poet Lyric

I Should Be Fishing

Well, my bosses up above me
are always pushing, trying to shove me
into doing twice the work for only half the pay

When 5 o’clock finally comes
and I think this long day is done
they tell me I have to work five more hours today

Because Joe Blow did not show
and I’m the only one who knows
how to push the green button to start this darn machine

While the sweat pours down my back
my bosses munch on their fifth snack
saying how we need to work together as a team

‘Stead of standing here wishing
should be on the creek bank fishing
and tonight I should be out painting this town red

I’m so tired I can hardly drive
and I feel more dead than alive
by eight o’clock I’ll be sleeping alone in my bed
 
When it comes time for a raise
you know you can be replaced they say
by a blind one-armed squirrel or a half dead baboon

So when I hit the lottery
they won’t see any sign of me
we’ll see if those pencil necks still sing that same tune
 
But it’s my job and I won’t shirk it
so I’ll get up and go to work it
and hope to retire when I am 90 if only I can

But that don’t stop me from wishing
that I was on the creek bank fishing
with an ice cold bottle of beer in each hand

‘Stead of standing here wishing
I should be on the creek bank fishing
and tonight I should be out painting this town red

I’m so tired I can hardly drive
I feel more dead than alive
by eight o’clock I’ll be sleeping alone in my bed

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Caren Krutsinger August 22, 2023 at 1:30 AM "When it comes time for a raise you know you can be replaced they say by a blind one-armed squirrel or a half dead baboon" - you have met some of the bosses I have met. I loved this part but all the rest of it too. Jerry Brotherton August 22, 2023 at 9:52 AM You can always tell when a boss has worked their way up through the system as compared to the 'bean counter' that only knows what the book says.

Yann Rolland August 17, 2023 at 7:00 PM this is a masterpiece, simple and directly written, we all need that kind of philosophy, while at work, simply for survival, bravo, take care Jerry Brotherton August 18, 2023 at 8:27 AM Thanks for such high praise, Yann. I've always believed that you work hard at whatever job you've got. Even the one you hated most. I've read lately about people silently quitting. Meaning they show up but don't actually work. Seeing how long it takes to get fired.

Bill Baker August 17, 2023 at 4:18 PM Nice Lyric poem, Jerry. Sounds like there may be a bit of truth in this one. There's a lot of men and women who will identify with your thoughts. Thanks for sharing through your poetry, my friend. A poet friend in Texas, Bill Jerry Brotherton August 18, 2023 at 8:23 AM Thanks, Bill. We all had 'THAT JOB' at some point. Mine was the last job I had before retirement.