The tension first starts at 7 a.m.
Adrenaline coursing his veins
Sweat trickles down his aching back
As he jostles the crowds for the trains
The biggest fear he faces today
Is someone will grab the last seat
He’ll have to stand all the way there
And walk down Victoria Street
Arriving at last at the grey M.O.D.
His heart rate rises once more
One of the lifts is broken again
So he walks up the stairs to his floor
Life can be cruel for there on his desk
Lies a note from the over-night staff
The coffee machine was taken away
“Someone will pay for this gaffe.”
Day after day he toils at his desk
Deadlines and savings to meet
His only worry is how to face
That walk down Victoria Street
A year full of tension finally ends
His sweat and his toil has seen
Dead and wounded in Afghanistan
His “bonus” the best there has been