(low electronic pulse)
Time started yesterday…
ended today…
Vitals lie.
Alarms joke.
Clock in.
Clock in.
Smile on. // already behind
Heart racing.
Hands calm. // don’t shake
Badge swipe.
Brain sharp. // too sharp
Soul tired.
Still lethal.
I’m fine— // you’re not
No I’m not— // you never are
Yes I am.
Move.
Vitals clean.
Room quiet. // wrong kind
Thoughts spiral.
Chest feral.
Numbers right. // check again
Gravity wrong. // feel it tilt
Someone dies.
No debrief. // don’t look
Wipe the bed.
Next admit.
Bust our ass.
Miss one thing. // that’s the headline
Public trial.
Shame parade.
They mess up.
Get a smile.
We mess up— // remember this
Career file.
Happy voice.
Shaking hands. // they know
I can save you— // or hurt you
—and still crash.
I love deep.
I trust slow. // earned not given
I’ll ride for you.
I don’t fold.
Eye contact // say it without words
Means I got it.
Call lights stack.
Hallways bend. // déjà vu
Same damn room
Again again.
Code blue.
Count it out. // don’t stop
Your ice cup
Can wait.
Airway first.
Ego last. // they’ll hate that
Physics wins.
Feelings pass.
3 a.m. dinner.
Cold fries. // this isn’t living
Standing up.
Dead eyes.
I’ll be right back— // liar
Three admits deep. // breathe
Clock skipping.
Time wrong.
They cry wolf. // again
Again. // again
Real fire hits— // now
We’re already closer.
Policies change
When they need blame. // watch
Rules bend
Sideways.
You’re calm.
Too calm. // suspicious
You’re fast.
Too fast. // dangerous
Upstairs thinks
I’m cold or mean. // let them
Down here I’m
Conserving heat.
I joke loud.
I feel everything. // shut up
I laugh now.
I crash later.
I’m okay— // no
I’m not— // correct
I’m built for this— // why
Because someone has to.
Backward logic.
Forward motion.
Broken system.
Perfect focus.
If this is hell
We learned the exits.
If this is chaos
We run it.
Same badge.
Same floor. // same trap
Different gravity.
Shift ends.
Portal closes. // slow
Sunlight hits
Wrong.
I don’t break on shift. // later
I break in silence.
Still screaming into the void— // it hears you
Just quieter. // good
Calculated. // always