I sought a shortcut through the daily grind,
To tame the chaos swirling in my head.
I built a cage of ease for peace of mind,
And made my clever little traps instead.


At first, they whispered of a lighter load,
A streamlined path to save the ticking clock.
They paved a sterile, suffocating road
And turned each simple freedom to a lock.


My “better ways” grew heavy, cold, and clingy—
A jealous spouse in every mundane chore.
They hovered close, demanding, fierce, and stingy,
Refusing even to unlock the door.


I couldn’t stumble, wander, or astray,
For every habit had its rigid rule.
They stole my random choices day by day,
And made the master servant to the tool.


So here’s to friction, mess, and trial and error,
To doing things the long and winding way.
I drop the chains of algorithmic terror
And sweep the pain-in-the-ass hacks away.