You worked fingers to the bone. You did everything you were told. But they took your job. Took your house. Split your family.
You're a loser. Everything tells you this. No-one looks in your eyes, calls you sir or ma'am. You've been trashed. Except in the bar. Running up a tab on the credit card you can't pay. Every month you need more booze, more drugs to numb the pain. You have no choice. By next year you'll either be dead or deeper in debt.
At school they told you, study, work hard, and you'll be rich. On the way up, take the punches, you'll win in the end. Keep fighting. Men will fear you, and babes will line up to get into your bed.
They lied. They all lied. They made a fool of you. You can't win. They can't lose. You're blood boils and somebody's gotta pay.
Who is gonna pay? Not the ones who set this up, right? You don't even know their names. I don't know their names.
This much I know. There's more inside you that no-one sees, no-one knows. But I gotta say this. I don't love your hate.
Hate won't get you to the top. Won't put it right. We have to work together to put it right. We have no choice. We have to go back to when things were alright. You had a job, a home, a community. You had respect.
You have to build a community. Minute by minute, word by word. You have no choice.
I'm talking about basic civil society, services that allow you to live without fear. Education, health and living wages. Hope for your kids future. Justice. I'm talking about walking down the street with confidence.
Respect can't be bought. Belonging can't be bought. Security can't be bought. You have to give respect. You have it to give and you deserve it to get it back. That's why I love you. Respect. My life, your life depends on it.
The only thing hate will bring is death. Tormented souls with nothing left but clenched fists and high blood pressure.
We have to keep trying to build together. They are not in control. You are not in control. We are not in control. It's tense. It's tiring. Sometimes it seems hopeless. But we have to keep listening. Keep talking.
It's not what they should do or what I should do? It's what CAN I do?
All we got is the rest of our lives. We have no choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment