Schedule

Monday through Friday,
The same damn routine,
Always some task,
With no in between.

Up by six,
At school by seven,
It starts in thirty,
Isn't this heaven?

Constant work,
Single half hour break,
Until 2:15,
I've started to ache.

Football til 6,
Bandaging cuts,
Filling up water,
Eyes starting to shut.

Go work until 9,
Or maybe til 10,
I'm literally dying,
Over and over again.

Get home and it's dark,
Too late for some food,
Chug down some water,
It'll just have to do.

Start all my homework,
Though I'm too tired to think,
I'll just do my best,
Doesn't this stink.

I'll be done around 1,
And finally sleep,
For maybe 5 hours,
But nothing too deep.

And then the next morning
I'll start it all over,
Until it's the weekend,
But it's not that much better.

I'll sleep until 12,
To make up lost hours,
But it's not that much help,
Once I get up to shower.

An hour each day,
To do some more homework,
Do some chores 'round the house,
Then go to work.

My life's gone to shit,
Health starts to decline,
My heads gone to hell,
I'm not doing fine.

But that's whats expected,
By everyone I'm told,
Even though it'll kill me,
Before I get old.

5 hours of sleep,
When I should get at least eight,
But I don't have a choice,
I've got a lot of my plate.

I don't really eat,
I only get lunch,
It's 500 calories,
And that's not a bunch.

Mental breakdowns are common,
With tears down my face,
Thoughts in my head,
With nothing to brace.

My feet always hurt,
So does my back and my head,
I've got nothing to help,
Until I'm finally dead.

I can't say it's good,
That I give myself scars,
From burns, cuts, and bruises,
Though it's not that bizarre.

And I've thought about death,
I have to confess,
A lot more than you think,
'Cause I'm just a mess.

This is what happens,
And not just to me.
What do you expect,
When I'm only 16?//