Birthday Blues

Today’s the day, I should feel high,

But a heavy weight sits in my sigh.

Four hours each way for promises bare,

When work could be closer, right over there.

Since July, they’ve dangled a higher place,

Yet here I stand, in the same old space.

And tonight’s dinner, I’d hoped for a crowd,

But a handful RSVPed, the silence loud.

My car’s a dream with a $5K fee,

A ride on pause, parked in uncertainty.

Loans denied, my funds stretched thin,

Doors keep closing when I thought I’d win.

I should’ve smoked and watched it all fade,

But now I’m here, in this tangled shade.

Still, I’ll find a way to lift this week,

To rise in joy, my spirit speak.

Today’s my day—I’ll claim the light,

And fight through shadows, with birthday might.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME