Flop sweat
In the pit of despair
Straining to hold it together
Through planned obsolescence
Late-stage wear and tear
No room for regret
Down here at crush depth
In a rear-guard action vs. death
Year after year after year
Nursing debts
Subprime-fleshed futures
Used glue when the wounds needed sutures
The truth: it ain’t strange, I ain’t healed
But I did what I did
Don’t shed me a tear
Stress test, stress test, stress test
‘Til something breaks
Rest for what?
Got no need to maintain
While the ghosts of old blows
Haunt the holes in my brain
Duct tape clothes my bones
Those cheap highs don’t hit the same
The struggle is real
The prize is chest tightness
More worry, more pain
Stress test, stress test, stress test
‘Til something breaks
Pride keeps me alive
And fear keeps me awake