Fractioned Hours

Alarm goes off, another piece gets sold,

Eight hours here, another favor owed.

Everybody says 'just give me one more day'— Funny how a lifetime

disappears that way.

BORROWED TIME! STOLEN DAYS!

(STOLEN AWAY!) Everybody wants another piece away!

Give work eight hours,

give worry the night,

Give everybody everything—what's left of my life?

Borrowed time! Stolen days!

I finally looked up and counted what remained— If time's all I've

got and tomorrow ain't saved,

WHAT'S LEFT IS MINE TODAY!

Five minutes here turns an hour somehow,

'Can you do me a favor?' means 'do it right now.' Phone

keeps buzzing like I signed some vow,

Everybody owns a piece when you don't say how.

Bills take Monday, deadlines Tuesday,

Wednesday disappears in somebody else's crusade.

Thursday I'm tired, Friday gets traded,

Then Sunday asks why the hell I'm frustrated.

I kept saying later like later was stored,

Like time had a warehouse with years on the floor.

Then watched whole seasons walk out through the door— You can earn

back money. You can't earn back four.

(Got a minute?) Not anymore.

(Quick favor?) No.

(Just one thing?) That's how it starts.

I ain't quitting my job,

disappearing to sea, I'm done giving everyone first pick of me.

Some obligations are real,

some pretend to be,

Some survive perfectly when you finally say 'leave.' Time for the people

who showed up before,

Time for doing nothing without keeping score.

Time for that thing I've postponed since four— Not every open hand

gets a piece anymore.

Call it selfish, put the charge on my name,

I've been generous enough with irreplaceable days.

Everybody gets money returned when it breaks— But nobody refunds a Thursday

you gave. Who owns tomorrow?

(NO ONE!) Yesterday? (GONE!) What about now?

Turn it up.

BORROWED TIME! STOLEN DAYS!

(STOLEN AWAY!) Everybody wants another piece away!

Give work eight hours,

give worry the night,

Give everybody everything—what's left of my life?

Borrowed time! Stolen days!

I finally looked up and counted what remained— If time's all I've

got and tomorrow ain't saved,

WHAT'S LEFT IS MINE TODAY!

I thought I was killing time.

Turns out time was killing me.

BORROWED

TIME! STOLEN DAYS!

TAKE 'EM BACK!

Everybody wants another piece away!

I paid what I owed,

gave enough of my life— What's left ain't borrowed,

WHAT'S LEFT IS MINE!

(RIGHT NOW!)

Got a minute? Not for free.