[Verse 1]
Ben marks two-fifteen in his book,
red template drops like a stamp.
Rail delay, northbound spur:
twenty minutes, hardly drama.
Chairs turn once, mugs keep moving;
three heads give it a look.
Jules asks which dropdown fits;
Ben circles "moderate" in his book.

[Chorus]
Red means routine,
red on the screen.
Urgent dress on a modest thing,
same old in-between.
Red means routine,
boldest color in the room.
By three o'clock it clocks in too,
red means routine.

[Verse 2]
Second alert: quarter to three,
budget timing change downtown.
Vote moved thirty minutes back;
red takes top-row space.
Road closure, market bridge,
third red, clean and wide.
Someone says without turning:
"Well, that's one ambitious sign."

[Chorus]
Red means routine,
red on the screen.
Urgent dress on a modest thing,
same old in-between.
Red means routine,
boldest color in the room.
By three o'clock it clocks in too,
red means routine.

[Verse 3]
Fourth alert at four-fifteen,
same red frame, same face.
Lane reopens, then recloses;
red files it in place.
Ben notes: "lane status, true;
cause box left unclear."
Sandwich paper folds; keys clack;
nobody turns to the screen.
Red has learned the office hours;
the room has learned the mark.

[Instrumental Solo]

[Bridge]
No memo named the turn,
no meeting changed the rules.
The checklist filled each chair;
the backlog backed up in queues.
Ben writes, "exception retired,"
small and square, no flourish.

[Chorus]
Red means routine,
red on the screen.
Urgent dress on a modest thing,
same old in-between.
Red means routine,
boldest color in the room.
By closing time nobody turns,
red means routine.
(routine)

[Outro]
End of shift, no speech required,
Ben shuts his notebook:
red means routine.

[End]