The Poor and Working Class

 

 

Into the month of November

It is Independence time,

This year we celebrate fifty-three

God has been gracious and kind.

We look back over the year

Since we were fifty-two,

It has been tough going forward

And there’s still much to do.

We promised to stay the course

As we chart an upward way,

It is rocky and uphill

But we sense a brighter day.

Sacrifice is the order

Though some don’t see it that way,

There’s is the "instant gratification"

And a "huge hike in their pay".

But there is the common good

And such should benefit all,

United we stand together

But divided we shall fall.

 

Now’s not a time for self-aggrandizement

But looking beyond self,

And pushing to restore Barbados

That is experiencing ill health.

Every country goes through it

Especially in times of recession

And while the rich absorb it,

The poor suffer oppression.

Let’s spare a thought for the poor

These are very rough times,

And reach out with a hand of help

But not of the welfare kind.

  

Let’s do it in such a way

That helps them keep their dignity,

And greater will our nation grow

In strength and unity.
 

For our nation is only as strong

As the poor and the working class,

They afford the lifestyles of the rich...

I am so glad you asked.

Upon them Government depends

To row the ship of state,

Their commitment to hard work

Determines its growth rate.

 

See them in the engine room

Experiencing the heat in their rags

While on the deck of the ship of state

The leaders celebrate and brag.

They take claim for the success

But for failure, they pass on the blame

Right down to them in the engine room

Whose energy they have drained.

Overworked and underpaid

They must make bricks without straw,

Yet they receive the most criticism

From the ones who are without flaws.

The leaders are steering perfectly

But the ship of state is standing still,

I propose, jettison some helmsmen

And employ more working-class skills.

Stewart Russell © November 2019