What rights do we have that they cannot take?
those who say no are often burnt at the stake,
They keep us darkened and blighted, stratified and divided,
when we speak out of turn, like children we’re chided.
We voice our discord and they show their disgust,
tell us things will be better, that in them we should trust,
offer us education and wisdom that reinforce their position
all scraps from their table built on a capitalist vision.
I’d quote Howl or rant Marxist but I know it won’t matter
as we’re all marching along to that soft pitter patter
of the spit on our faces that they tell us is rain
but we all know the difference and we all feel the same.
“Why can’t you just work? Why can’t you just earn?
Come consume with us boy the world it must turn!”
But i just can’t believe that, can’t accept it’s our fate,
to be valued and weighed by how much money we make.
We’re humans in as much as we can buy our way in
and pledge our allegiance to cold cash and not kin.
And those that don’t have it, be they red white or blue?
“Well to hell with them boy, they’re them and not you,
look after yourself now, caring won’t get you far
they’d step on and over you just to get where you are.
Suck it up and earn money, buy things and be happy
invest in Christmas and Cola and then start a family.
You can buy things for them, they’ll love you for it too,
just remember it doesn’t start with a them but a you.”
But our planet is not peopled by a collection of yous,
sheep we may act like, but I think we have grander views.
The sad truth is the world functions this way,
not perfect, not happy but it still turns each day.
And as long as it turns and our families are safe
we accept what we’re doing is as good as it gets.
Whats wrong with new phones, nice houses and cars?
Trips to the movies and magazines about stars?
What harm does it do? What does it even mean?
When your life begins and ends with each new fashion scene?
And therein is the tragedy, the myth that they sell:
that we have to have comfort to function so well.
In truth, as we know, we could have so much more,
we could share wealth out equally, lose this concept of poor.
Poor is a perspective and it works for the rich
and will maintain for as long as the top tier resist,
the notion that equality is an innate human right
and not intrinsically linked with financial might.
But give it some time, give the world room to breath,
give good people time to watch and time to perceive:
And what happens behind the words and closed doors,
will undoubtedly out, be pushed to the fore.
Revolution need not be bloody or grim,
we can stand shoulder to shoulder, breed strength from within
Chain links forged of morals and steely desire,
and resistance that’s tempered with peace and not fire
To take back control of our lives, loves and destiny,
we need intelligent resistance based universal humanity.
************
***Gavin Hedaux spends his time in Cornwall, England where he repeatedly tries to convince the locals that he is actually one of them despite his vague cockney twang. He likes poetry and prose of all kinds and has an irrational fear of the word yokel and the colour yellow. He tweets at: https://twitter.com/GavinHedaux ****
SICK LIT MAGAZINE 
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