The Last Cut (Closing Time)

The first cut was easy; he'd been asking for it for years.
The second cut was disappointing, but better than nothing.
The third cut was a little messy until a pro cleaned it up.
The fourth cut took a lot of work, just about worth it in the end.
The fifth cut was the quickest and most direct of all.
The sixth cut came much sooner than had been expected.
The seventh cut hit a snag, but made it through okay.
The last cut was the deepest, bringing it all to an end.

Looks like freedom but it feels like death
It's something in between, I guess
It's closing time