Tick tock
Tick tock
Time’s a-wastin’
What job would I do
(ooh ooh ooh)
Just for one day?
(Just one day)
It’s just one day
(right?)
I wanna be captain
of a pirate ship
Sailin’ the ocean
I wanna be a captain
on a big ‘ole ship
I do…
I do…
I do
Standing firm and stern
hands on hips
I wanna be captain
for just one day
I’ll grab the wheel
Set sail with vigor
Feel wind in my hair
Can’t wait to discover
What it’s like to navigate
deep blue sea
From sunrise to sunset
Captain of the deep blue sea
Where I wanna be
… for just one day
What job would I do
Just for one day?
(Just one day)
It’s just one day
(right)
A day in boots
Of a captain
Sailing the seven seas
It’s gonna happen
One day
Nothin’ to lose
(it’s just one day)
Just freedom to gain
(one free day)
For one day
Just one day
Keeping it Light
Sometimes a poem doesn’t need to solve the world’s problems; it just needs to hoist a sail, shout “Ahoy,” and let your imagination do the steering.
Just One Day is a playful daydream wrapped in rhythm and repetition. It’s about letting yourself imagine a completely different life, even if only for twenty-four hours. Pirate ship optional. The charm is in the fantasy—the “what if”—with just enough sincerity to make you believe that maybe, just maybe, it could happen.
Light poems are not lightweight; in the hands of great poets, ordinary or humorous subjects become unexpected sources of meaning.
- William Carlos Williams famously apologized for eating someone else’s plums in This Is Just to Say;
- Billy Collins celebrated the perfect spring day in Today;
- and in The Lanyard, he turned a child’s handmade gift into a reflection on love, gratitude, and absurdity.
These poems prove that delight, mischief, and sincerity can all thrive in the same stanza.
Writing Challenge: One Day Job Swap
Write a poem about a job you would want to do just for one day.
It can be silly, serious, noble, impossible, or ridiculous.
Maybe you want to be a beekeeper.
Maybe a circus tightrope walker.
Maybe you just want to work the waffle station at a hotel breakfast buffet.
Whatever it is, keep it playful; lean into your curiosity.
And remember—it’s just one day.
Right?
Post your poem (or a link to it) in the comments. I’d love to see what one-day dream jobs you come up with.
