Silently Struggling

Sometimes it's not worth trying
You know that you will lose
The path that will lead you
Is not one that you choose

Do you ever get the feeling
That your fate's already set
And all that you have now
Is all you'll ever get

I wonder why some people
Are punished right from birth
Don't even get a chance to
Enjoy their life on Earth

You say that they don't try hard
And this is why they fail
But of course you don't have a clue
Just what their life entails

It really makes me wonder
All that they must go through
They live a life of struggle
So unlike me or you

A colleague that's just started
At the place I work
She's been there for a few weeks
Employed as a desk clerk

With all the other workers
We get on really well
Our area is open-plan
So it's just like show and tell

She's a very thorough worker
Although a little shy
Whenever we go out to eat
She will always deny

One day that I asked her
She should join our social side
And come out and have some fun
To make the hard work justified

A pause for a few seconds
Then in a nervous voice
She said she wasn't avoiding
But for this she has no choice

"I'm a single mother of three
Who really need me there
I wish that I could join you
But I have to be elsewhere

Finances are quite tight now
I have to be careful with what I spend
I can't afford to ask the bank
For more money to lend

And I don't own a car
It would be a last resort
I wouldn't feel safe at night
Relying on public transport"

I truly felt so guilty
And didn't know what to say
While enjoying a life that's good
We all don't live this way