Another errant thought, a habit it might seem

About the odd phenomenon known as routine

I'm no chicken any more, not stressed by work demands

Yet the freedom retirement was supposed to bring

Now yields to new commands

The silly thing is they don't matter but they're fixed inside my head

When to eat, when to get up, what time to go to bed

Dust and clean, washing day, tomorrow's your day to shop

I don't have to follow these rules yet I just can't seem to stop

Now I know everybody's body has a biologic clock

And just because I'm older doesn't mean mine's running down

But to think that it's a rigid time is simply just a crock

Yet there I am, regardless of who I'm with or where

Those habitual signals poke my mind religiously, without care

I want to change the days I choose to shop or when I dust and clean

But then the laundry, showers and writing would require a new routine

See what I mean?

I give myself a good upbraiding, do what the heck you want and when

But I'm at war with clocks and calendars and surrender once again

No good! I've got to break this pattern, there's really no excuse

But I checked my watch and right now it's time to watch the news . . .