We sat like prisoners in our cubicles

As the old timer walked by and said, “See you kids Monday, I gotta go take care of these cuticles”

It was Thursday

She waved her diamond-studded hand as she waltzed by

Drove off at 1:00 in her Range Rover

My colleague said, “Must be nice. Sometimes I wish I didn’t know her”

I replied, “She’s been at this longer than we’ve been alive”

My colleague sighed

I looked out the window

It’d be another three or four hours until we could get outside

Once we did, we strolled through the parking lot

There were some fancy cars in all different spots

“Must be nice,” one of colleagues said, as he hopped on his moped

“There’s no way I could afford one of those before I’m dead”

I went home and thought about nice

What kinds of things add value to my life

Independent of an Instagram feed or a Facebook like

The great outdoors – the beach, a run

So I got myself a bike

What about integrity at work instead of just numbers

All the draining social interactions that make me stutter

How can I maximize time with my dog

And time in fiction

What does it mean for me to follow my conviction

Fast forward to now

Over the past seven years I sort-of figured it out

Paid off every penny of debt

Plugged my ears to what the critics said

Road my bike to work

Punched the clock till it hurt

Till I no longer needed so much

Time doing something you hate is a heavy price

Free your soul from expectation

Every day can be a vacation

What’s your vice?

I left work today on my bike – at 2:30

A younger colleague looked from her cubicle at me

And said, “Must be nice’

I took off like a bird, weightless

I don’t think she heard as I whispered, “It is” ~