The long furlough (edit 1)

[newbie]

Three times daily
for over a year
Mick has plodded
   up
then
   down
the drive.

One afternoon last December
he tried to plod
   up
the drive
   all the way to the bus stop --

only to find
his feet took him
   down
the drive
again.

"It's a shame,"
   he said.
"I was looking forward to the bus."

Three times daily
for over a year
Mick has plodded
   up
then
   down
the drive.

One afternoon last December
he tried plodding
   up
the drive
   and all the way to the bus stop

only to find 
his feet took him
   down
the drive
again.

"It's a shame.
I was looking forward to the bus,"
   he said.

I like it leaf
Sums up how so many have been living for so long
The monotony taking over so much of their beings that people forget how to act for themselves
Even to the point where they find themselves back home without questioning why they haven't exercised free will (apprehension possibly)
The humour lightens the sentiment (and makes it great, for me) but the message is clear to see
Gave me a chuckle