like leaves curling and branches drooping, petals burnt brown and falling
these low wage years, in this low wage weather system, can you feel that low wage pressure rhythm, of this low wage stressful living, how this low wage life keeps taking, a drought of our own making
where it’s always burning hot cuz it’s always bitter cold
it’s always dry and unhealthy, patience testing and temper sparking
pissing tiny drops when we need a downpour, pissing little coins when we need a payday
this virga not sustaining, this pressure pushing down not relenting
like clouds that can’t build up in the sky and rain down for a healthy living
we can’t build ourselves and live up to the american dream
we just run ourselves down like dust into the ground
working multiple jobs, blink and decades are gone
how there’s no time to be with kids to guide them as they’re growing
there’s no time to be healthy or see the doctor when sickness starts coughing
no time to take classes or pursue interests, enjoy a hobby or see the bigger picture
no time to vote for change to find a way out of this maze
when all we’ve got is a few hours between 2 paychecks
this low wage pressure system, this parched living that the rich and their politicians insist on
asking why aren’t employees healthy, why aren’t employees educated, why can’t i find skilled employees, why can’t employees afford childcare, why do employees have to rely on the government for everything
as they nervously make excuses that america’s workers are just lazy
their faces on all our screens talking about principles of self determination and responsibility
but what are those principles worth if the lowest paid employees can’t afford to live them
and instead of sacrificing 5 or 10 or 20 percent of their $40,000,000 salaries to increase the pay of employees making $13 hour
instead of sacrificing a 40% profit margin
instead of sacrificing shareholder dividends
instead of sacrificing anything, anything at all
to make their political principles a reality in the lives of their employees
they raise wages one day and en masse raise prices the next
locking those mental chains of unwritten rules around their own hands
with a shrug saying, “some things can’t be changed, we’ll blame externals for the inflation”
and when the time comes to need the best and demand the most of their employees
their decades of disinvestment in the education of their employees
in the very community their own workforce is hired from
it comes calling doesn’t it
but they keep on saying the same lines, that hot air coming out their mouths dry and dusty
like good money after bad, it’s just oblivion in high definition
these low wage years, in this low wage weather system, can you feel that low wage pressure rhythm, of this low wage stressful living, how this low wage life keeps taking, a drought of our own making
but if we keep fighting and resisting and pushing pushing pushing
never accepting unacceptable excuses as worth our dignity
it will start raining, absolutely raining over a fertile and free america
heat flow 