I Am Your Clock

I am your clock I am your religion I am your shotgun mechanical bride Nothing is done without my approval I own you I decide how long you sleep And how much rest You are ever allowed I decide what you desire I deny you time to think I am the mirror of constant humiliation That follows and shadows you Wherever you go And blocks out the light At the end of every tunnel yo try Be on time Be on schedule Always feel Like you're always late And need more scolding and punishment Do not daydream Do not dilly-dally Do not fall behind Wings are flapping right behind you You know what's coming next As I swoop down like a hungry owl And sink my talons into your back And drag you back to square one again The pain gets a little worse every time Crash Crumple Do not pass go Do not collect Your dignity and your self respect Give up It's over Now time allowed To try something you like The bills were all due yesterday You've failed You're through First we form our habits, then they form us We dress up as someone else every day Gingerbread houses Fireplace surprises What tastes the best The witches won't let you have These days, having a baby Is like what having a BMW used to be While they're asleep Play those New Age cssettes To transmit subliminal messages I like Mom I like school I like to study I like rules I am the school teacher Who yelled at you for not paying attention And shame you in front of the entire class And dragged you around the room by the hair This is what happens to boys and girls Whose penmanship is messy Be neat, like the others Follow orders Obey what is put in front of you Imagination is the ultimate sin You can't be creative the rest of your life Your counselor wants a word with you If you liked school, you'll love work Resign yourself to a job you'll hate Get a hobby-but keep it in the garage Shove yourself into a slot Despise your ides Despise your ideas Your boss knows best We can't all do what we want to do Always settle for what you're told to expect Do not take chances You might fail You might fail You don't want to find out the hard way How our society treats The misfits who make mistakes Bad Failure Bad Failure Homeless Depression Mental hospitals Murder Born on the cutting room floor Die in the bin by the door Hypothermia of the spirit Why do people chase So many useless toys In search of the perfect baby sitter "For just $19.95 and just thirteen minutes of your busy day, You can have the full, rich experience of of parenthood Without the mess of the real thing. It's called 'Video Baby.' Creative Programming, Inc., offer all of the enjoyment- And none of the commitment." I am your calendar There is no escape I am why you're afraid To respect yourself I led you down garden path after path With carrots on a stick I'll let you taste but never embrace Peek in the wrong door, I slam it on your fingers Go back Adventure is not allowed Go back-not allowed! I leave you exhausted, henpecked and afraid Never quite enough money Never enough nerve To reach out for something better Than the grind you call your life The hatch of your hamster cage is open But guess who waits just outside the door Stay on your treadmill Keep running on that wire wheel Briefcase in hand Money rains down just out of reach You'll burn out soon enough It's all part of the plan When you're no longer useful You can finally retire To the glue factory of your choice Free at last To scratch your head Wondering what happened Free at last I bid you goodbye On your own To wait to die