"Grind" is a five-line poem about the weariness of working life. The speaker says that "times touch and trouble us," as if the pressures of the moment brush against everyone, including the speaker, wherever they go. The phrase feels vague on purpose: it's not one crisis but a general unease that follows people around.
The image at the center is the ox, an animal that plods along under a heavy load. Calling our movement "melancholy as an ox" suggests we keep going out of duty, slowly and without much joy. The last two lines make the point sharper. The work may be finished, but "the office never off" plays on the idea of being always available, always on call. The break between work and rest has disappeared.
The mood is tired, resigned, and a little dry. There's no anger or protest here, just a flat, quiet recognition of how heavy the routine has become.