Redline

Stuck in the machine with my hands in the gears, Been fixing everybody else’s problems for years, Every time one clears, two more appear, So I learned how to function with failure so near. Whole system shakes when the workload shifts, Bad foundation gets covered with temporary fixes, They call it good when the motor still spins, I hear every bearing telling me how this ends. I’m wrenching on the engine while the engine still runs, Can’t shut production down, gotta get this shit done, One hand on the problem, one checking the gauge, Pressure climbing faster than the hours I’m paid. Everybody wants motion, nobody wants friction, Everybody needs answers, nobody makes decisions, So the load gets transferred till it lands on me, Then they call me dependable while I’m losing sleep. that’s a failure in design, One critical component holding up the whole line, If the system falls apart when that component leaves, Then it never really worked, it just worked me. Keep increasing the load ’cause I handled the last, Till capacity and expectation finally overlap. I’ve been redlining so long normal feels slow, Think I’m falling behind if I ain’t under load, But an engine at redline ain’t proving it’s strong, It’s borrowing tomorrow just to keep moving on. I keep thinking more torque gonna straighten the shaft, More hours, more effort, just work through the drag, But force on bad alignment just increases the wear, You don’t fix what’s crooked by applying more there. And if I’m the problem, then tear into me, Find the worn-out parts I was too proud to see, If my habits cause heat, then I change how I move, A man scared to adjust got nothing to prove. So I’m mapping the system, finding every weak link, Which problems need action, which need time just to think, Which gears drive progress, which just make noise, Which burdens are mine and which ones are a choice. Still stuck in the machine, but I understand more, Every failure leaves a diagram of what failed before, I ain’t trying to escape by ignoring the strain, I’m trying to get better so I don’t break the same. If pressure makes progress, I’ll carry my share, But pressure without purpose is just damage and wear, So I’m done being proud that I function in pain, I’d rather rebuild than keep grinding the same.