For a loaf of bread and a pickle

In the stillness of the night
Under the drowsy moon
On the balloons of flesh
Twenty more miles to go
Berated by the boss
Beaten down by the heat
And smothered in germs
On the chemical plant
Dreams that once buoyed
The spirit up
Drifted away
And old memory fades
Of undulating laughter
Drained
And drowned
In billows of misery
Road becoming narrower
Forks closed
Torch burning out
Time's sharp teeth
Immure, maul and munch
Body and soul
Little light spilled over the sky
Dandelions donned in dew
And birds' sundry songs
Punctuated by cows' moaning
A new day begins
Yet a day less, but more dolor
Five more miles to go
The sun glows white
And the wind rumbles
Rabbits retreating underground
And squirrels taking shelter
By a boulder
Another mile to go
Latitude stays the same
And lassitude sinks down
Rugged hand fumbling
Over the kitchen counter
For the loaf of bread
And a pickle
Hungry for bacon
A nap in the chair
Back on the narrowing road
Toiling in reverse
To be berated
And beaten down again