Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Canned

A man was hired to paint the line
Down the middle of a highway.
His boss said he was doing fine -
Ten miles painted on his first day.
The second day, the man did less,
Painting only five miles of road.
The boss told him, "Okay, I guess,"
But wondered why the man had slowed.
On his third day, he only did
One single mile. The boss was hot,
"Who the hell you tryin' to kid?"
"What kind of damn excuse you got?"

"Well, each day I paint," said the man,
"I get further from the paint can."