Measure up, they say
“Be like the others,
it’s not that hard”
But I see the others
And they’re dying as much as I am, heart, body and soul
Measure up, they say
To the ones who work now, relax later
To the ones who we have lost, long ago
Work and die now,
be dead later
Measure up, they say
When the cup has no bottom
and each accomplishment,
each success
falls into the void
Measure up, they say
As a projection of self
As if saying that will solve all their problems
as well as mine
As if they’re not perpetuating a loop that has existed as long as we have