A poem

[The Straight Story]

One more day

Doing your best
Sticking by what you believe in
Caring for others
Those who have no voice

Sick.
Dying.
Out of work.
No money to pay the rent.

Utilities soon to be shut off
Kids crying
Hungry
Sad. Scared.

They need money.
A lifeline
Help
Something to get them by

Mom
All alone
Dad somewhere in the streets
Feeling ashamed and scared

Both tried
Worked hard
Always on time
Never missed a day

Company cut costs
Benefits
Sent their jobs overseas
To cut costs

daughter is ill now
Family in disarray
Family values
A catch phrase

A Christmas Carol
Tiny Tim
But this story
Has no happy ending yet

Health care
Workers' rights
Wars
Corporate welfare

Swept under the rug
Just wanting the basics
Life. Liberty.
Happiness.

Denied for the many
For the few
That same few
Who complains that the many
Are wrong to ask for help

They tell us we need to fear
Those would attack us
In our ears whisper
reasons for wars

A mother sits alone
Crying
Because she cannot feed her child
Can't meet the little boys' needs

Billions we give out
for wars and wall street
And complain
When we give anything to those needing it

Christmas eve
They gather in church
And wonder why
Mother Mary could not get a room

Wonder how the baby Jesus
Could not find a room
Wonder why later
He was killed for telling people they were wrong

Somewhere a child is crying
The Baby jesus
Crying, because
We chose death over life