"OVERTIME"

"OVERTIME" is an original acrylic on canvas piece that attempts to convey the strain of keeping all the important spheres in my life safely in the air while a global pandemic constricts me emotionally, physically, and financially.
 
OVERTIME   
©Katy L Patterson Phelps 2022
 
Pay.
Pay the mortgage 
pay the bills
Buy the light
Refill your pills
To hell with polite
Pay the devil his due
Hey! Wicked!
No rest for you.
 
 
Wipe.
Wipe the counters smear
the mirror
Chase the mud
Stop the blood
Clean the dog shit 
off the floor
Wipe your tears
Oh look! There’s more!
 
Wash.
Wash the clothes, 
clean the dishes
Bathe that dog
Drain your wishes
Wash your hands of 
expectations
Scrub your thoughts
Cancellation.
 
Paint.
Paint your heart, 
cover your face
Hide the flaws
Brush and paste
Color your feelings
A palette of bright
Paint your walls! 
They’re peeling!
New day, same fight
 
Hustle.
Late for work, 
hustle to practice
Hurry home, 
fight the masses
Rush to cook, 
burn the meal
Kids are irked
Too bad, just deal
Hustle, hustle 
to your grave
Good job, clock slave!








 
Over.
Over worked and 
underpaid
Over T.I.R.E.D….
And damnit:
never laid
CAFFIENE! WIRED!
Below the belt, 
below the bar
Effing over being 
sub-par
Where’s the line? 
Where’s my wine?
 
Overtime