Poem : Caught By The Wolf

Looking back and looking forward
Has always been the same for the blue-collars
For our fathers taught us well
Wise words of their teaching
“Don’t let you wants out weigh your needs.”
Sayings that kept us safe from the wolves
But the wolves were never dressed in sheep’s clothing
They were crafty and came in so many forms
They wore hardhats, and called themselves supers
They came to us in suits
With promises of bigger and better tomorrows
They said “No money down.”
“Your dreams can start today.”
The wolves now call themselves collecting agents
But still no sheep’s clothing
Each day I see so many that are struggling
Caught by the wolf
And the ones that are not caught
Are just one or two paychecks away
From his teeth gnashed waiting to bite
We’re working while looking over our shoulder
We’ve sold ourselves back to the factories
To the scratches of raw flesh infection
To the cut-saw
With its carbon tips braking off and flying like bullets
Yes we’re doing the best that we can to make a dollar
At least this is what I tell myself
As I see the workers that have managed to hold on
That start their morning with a beer in the shower
Their skin glows a light pink florescent
As they work their ten hour shifts
To make cheap rent and a case of even cheaper beer
All to burn away the memories of what once was for the working class