I Am Still Haunted

In social work, burnout can be catastrophic

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

The church is pro-life until a baby takes its first breath,
Afterward, it’s pro-incarceration and death
It’s been almost a year since I called New York home,
But the ghosts of the system won’t leave me alone

I sit in my bedroom where no one can see me
There’s cars in the driveway but nobody’s home
The seasons are changing, but it’s always winter
The ghosts of the system won’t leave me alone

I drive down expanses of highway forever on
Roads that stay leading me too far from home
The sun is long gone when my workday is over
The ghosts of the system won’t leave me alone

I stare at the ceiling like it might talk back to me
Maybe the world just thinks I’m in my zone
But I’m a cup overflowing with emptiness
The ghosts of the system won’t leave me alone

I shun Halloween and I hate horror movies
I don’t entertain “trick-or-treat” in my home
At work, I see things Stephen King never dreamed of
The ghosts of the system won’t leave me alone