Nine-to-Strive (Redux) x Dust and Stars (Mashup)

Yeah… Clockin’ in to the void again. A résumé warrior in a war that don’t end. You call it "time off"? Nah—this is trench work. Let me talk to 'em. Wake up at 8, no boss, still stressin’, {Wake up! Wake up!} Got an inbox full, every “Sorry” is a lesson. Cover letters tailored tighter than my budget, Still gettin’ ghosted like a spirit wouldn’t touch it. They say, “Keep your chin up,” I’m like, “Bet,” While I'm out here makin’ miracles on zero percent. Interviews unpaid, like auditions with no show, Performin’ every day just to still hear “no.” {noooooo} Scrollin’ job boards like it's doomscroll deluxe, Apply, apply, refresh—bruh, it sucks. But if I take a breath? “You ain’t tryin’ hard enough.” {“You ain’t tryin’ hard enough.”} Society be gaslightin’ like my grind ain’t tough. This the nine-to-strive, no lunch, no pay, But you still gotta hustle just to maybe get a day. A job to get a job, stress on replay, Don’t call me lazy—this a full-time ballet. {full-time ballet] It’s the job hunt blues, suit up and lose, {lose lose lose} Mental health taxed while the system refuse. So if you think I'm chillin', better change your view— I’m workin’ every second just to earn that interview. Gotta network like a router on fire, Pretend I’m not tired, say “I’m great!”—I’m a liar. {“you great?”— you liar!} Fake smiles in DMs like I’m sellin’ Amway, When really I’m just beggin’ for a shot through the melee. Every app a labyrinth, hoops and a trap, "Upload your résumé"… then fill it out again—crap. They want five years’ experience in a junior role? What next, a PhD just to flip egg rolls? Told to freelance? Cool, who’s payin' on time? “Exposure” don’t cover when I’m down to my last dime. Motivation’s M.I.A., and sanity’s on loan, But I’m still here standin', grindin’ on my own. {I’m still here standin} This ain't a break—this a battlefield with no map, Where silence echoes louder than a thunderclap. And every “You’ll find something soon” feels thin, When every door’s locked and I’m breakin’ in with a grin. {breakin’ in with a grin} This the nine-to-strive, no desk, no perks, But I’m still clockin’ hours while the algorithm lurks. A mission with no title, a dream on delay— Don’t judge my hustle 'cause my job don’t pay. {you job don’t pay.?} It’s survival in silence, it’s grindin’ with grace, It’s fightin’ for worth in an invisible race. {It’s fightin’ for worth in an invisible race.} So next time you ask what I do all day, Know I’m buildin’ a future in a system that preys. And someday, I’ll clock out rich. But I clock in every day. Call it what you want. Yeah…