It started back in August,
The transition from delivery driving to tutoring,
Too many emails back and forth,
Not enough time to make deliveries,
Three-week delay until my first tutoring paycheck.
I’m behind the eight ball
End of September,
Busy with tutoring,
Lots of balls moving around,
So stressed trying to keep things straight,
That I made a mistake.
I’m still behind the eight ball
Winter break,
No kids to tutor,
People are cooking instead of ordering,
No quarantines,
Less deliveries,
The balls stop moving.
I’m stuck behind the eight ball
Second semester,
The schedule is nearly full,
But I’m playing catch up,
I love this job, and I am good at it,
I just don’t have enough students,
To stay afloat,
The balls are moving, but not a single tap.
I’m stuck behind the eight ball
Spring Break,
Another slow week,
Trying to brainstorm another plan,
To replace delivery driving,
Every option is beyond my abilities,
The stress and anxiety builds,
Whoops, another mistake,
A ball rolls by without a touch.
I’m stuck behind the eight ball
The year is almost over,
An unexpected problem,
I’m not prepared for this,
My head is swirling in worry,
About what else could happen,
The balls have disappeared.
I’m stuck behind the eight ball
Looking at summer,
My mental health is a mess,
I’ve fallen behind on everything,
I need to take time to heal, to prepare for fall,
When the need for tutors will grow,
But first I have to find the other balls.
Because I’m still stuck behind the eight ball
And I can’t seem to break free.
