Tank on Empty
An original poem
Ever feel like you’re running on empty? We all experience those moments.
The culprit? A busy life.
Schedules crammed full of tasks. To-do lists that never seem to get checked off. These sorts of days can feel overwhelming, until your body, mind, and soul crash like a cheap glitchy laptop. Finding a balance is easier said than done. With me, I always crave feeling like I made the most of my day. Guilt and frustration seeps in when the needle on my internal tank becomes stuck on E.
This poem is dedicated to those poor souls battling the fatigue monster.
I am an empty bottle waiting to be refilled. Juice drained away. Parched barren land. Vultures hold sway. Rulers over rough sand. I am a tattered shoe filling with holes. Second wind gone No model upgrades. cruel fate's pawn. The finish line fades. I am a drained battery refusing to recharge. Feet slowing down Eyelids growing heavy. Smile turning to frown. Slumber beckons me.
Did you enjoy this poem? Check out my other poetry in the Strange New Worlds archives.
The Ghost Diaries Update
Mark your calendars!
The first episode of my new serial The Ghost Diaries will debut on September 13th. (That’s right, Friday the 13th. 😎) This comedy horror tale will consist of eight weekly episodes, with the final episode running on Halloween itself.
All episodes of The Ghost Diaries will be featured here in the Strange New Worlds newsletter. Weekly episodes will also run simultaneously on my Patreon page and my soon-to-launch Ream page. The first episode here at Strange New Worlds will be free for all subscribers and the other seven episodes will be made available exclusively to paid subscribers.
These will be your only options for reading The Ghost Diaries in 2024. Paperback and eBook editions will be published through Samak Press on a date to be determined in 2025, but do you really want to punish yourself by waiting until sometime next year to devour this must-read story?
John, ever do any songwriting? For whatever reason, this one reminded me of my songwriting days (like 30 years ago), and I'm cognizant that songwriting and poetry are different arts, but there's a ton of crossover. I don't mean that you can't like sing a poem or whatever, but I myself would tend to modify the lyrics alongside the melody at the same time, and that's a very different process. This is definitely a good representation of the feeling you're describing, FWIW.