Heather has a Bachelor's Degree in English from Moravian College and has been freelance writing for more than 12 years.

Woke up this fine, dark early Monday morning

Feeling like an utter failure for no reason at all

Haven't even done anything to feel ashamed of

Dreading returning to the humdrum routine

A structured existence where everything timed

Down to the fraction of a second; not even a full minute

Returned to an environment where nothing changed

Even after a week away from the premises

Only thing that changed was the returning vacationer

A year older; not in the least bit wiser

Energy battery on complete life support

Running on fumes and smoking billowing out of the sides

Heart and happiness thrown in food processor

Put on the obliterate setting if there was such a thing

Nothing left to contend with

All logic and reasoning have left the premises

Along with Elvis and any rational Republican

Left hand and arm full of a tingling numb sensation

Likely stress related or a medication side effect

Something isn't working right anymore

Trying to determine what is triggering this downslide

Needed to pull a Rip Van Winkle and take a long nap

Not a 20 year one because that's excessive

Unless you're suffering from narcolepsy

And even that's exaggerated

No nap should be worth wasting 2 decades of your life

Need just enough to get through the day; or night

Searching for something to find funny

A dose of good stand-up comedy will do the trick

A temporary escape until a permanent solution in place

Just hope it's the right solution

Tired of moving one step forward and three steps back

Finding what makes me tick and keeps me happy

Drown out all the white noise that seems to be triggering this

Short circuit and fix my life for the better

All you need is love and a decent night's rest

What the doctor exactly ordered

Good night and good luck, everyone else.