The rush commute across London
By bus, tube or train
Like sardines in a can
Or rats up a drain
Herded like cattle
Ranted at by TFL
Hamsters on a wheel
A daily taste of hell
Personal space invaded
Rammed against each other in a cage
No wonder some people lose it
Consumed by frustration and rage
Exposed to each other’s odour
We sweat and we perspire
Germs gleefully multiply
A breeding ground, they spread like fire
Mingling with
‘The great unwashed’
A mosh pit of misery
How do they justify the cost?!
Delays, cancellations,
Overcrowded stations close
Locked on the street
Crowds gather, nowhere to go
Then when you get in
The platform’s 5 lines deep
With people clamouring to board
A bottle-neck of bewildered ‘sheep’
What the solution is I don’t know
Should we all vacate the town?
Move ourselves to the sticks?
Or stay here and drown?
Quit our city jobs?
Work in the local pub?
With London rents soaring
We’d be buggered but perhaps we should
For perhaps another
Way we’ll find
More conducive to getting
The work-life balance just right
More of the ‘me’ time
Less of the grind
Space to breathe
De stress, unwind
For nigh on 15 hours a week
I traverse this treacherous treadmill
Purely for work, pleasure is extra
And I’m finding it pretty dreadful
So I’m seeking ways
To ease the pain
For I’ve hit a wall
Can’t continue this way
I do have a choice
Though it’s a tough one to make
So I’m weighing everything up
For my sanity’s at stake
I’ve done it for the money
But no amount of dosh
Can refund me the hours
Of my life I’ve lost
So watch this space
We’ll see how things pan out
Either poor and sane I’ll be
Or loaded with the straight jacket out!