The Side of Job Nobody Told Me

They said:

work hard, get a job,

you will have a financial blanket,

you will enjoy dignity in the society,

life will be easy.

But they did not say

the job will make me sick

and deeply unhappy.

I am a hardworking person,

can rival ants,

but I am not cockroach-tough

to survive harsh conditions.

Let me explain.

I have hypothyroidism.

Cold tolerance is poor.

We all need fresh air.

Since I was inflamed,

and expected to have a baby,

I needed more ambient conditions.

It was a cold, chemical lab,

I needed sweater in summer.

There was chemical smell,

in each breath I took.

Janitors mopped with stronger scents.

Do you know scents are

endocrine disruptors?

Some days work ended at night,

sometimes in weekends.

Be it rain or rainbow,

I stayed in the cubicle.

Why?

For a few hundred dollars

in a fortnight.

I hated myself.

I will live in a cottage,

eat rice and salt,

wear same tattered clothes—

but I hate modern day slavery

and I fear places

that expose me to health risks.

I quit and felt great.

They did not say that side of jobs

which will corrode my health.

Note: How is your job going?