landing beside the beer nuts

landing beside the beer nuts

 

 

working man's blues

hip boots, not shoes

pit of despair,

he's digging in and out

white collars fly above

like brash Eagles ruling sky

 

he wonders why,

his sweat is in tears of routine

most know not of what he has seen

scraps on the table

medicines still on the pharmacy shelf

 

living for a family, barely taking care of himself

he digs deeper into the abyss

imagines a life of bliss

but knows his wings are clipped

 

knows his sky will always be grounded

like his future.

and the last beer he sipped.

 

erin-cilberto

3/6/19

Reviews

[Samuel Dickens]

I've known of such times. Indeed, most of my family has. Poverty sucks.
Once I built a tower up to the sun
Of bricks and mortar and lime
Once I built a tower, and now it's done
Brother, can you spare a dime?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

really enjoy your poetic reply, Samuel...thank you,
j.

[Samuel Dickens]

You might recognize that they're lyrics from a depression-era song.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

didn't recognize them, but like them.

[kentuck14]

Lots of people like this in the world . . . getting by, never getting ahead. "You shall work the land by the sweat of your brow . . . " Have been both blue and white collar. I was fortunate to enjoy (for the most part) what I did. It truly is a blessing for a person to feel satisfaction in his/her work.
T.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

been both myself...but lower white collar, teaching.
thank you for understanding, yes more important that we enjoy what we do.
j.

[kentuck14]

can't say I made a ton of money at either. Guess I was just getting by . . . but sometimes that's a great victory!
T.

[redzone]

you take us into the shadows of most people's lives, hard working but never getting beyond scaping by and that's if he's lucky.... there is a saying: "I worked my fingers to the bone and all I got was boney fingers".....

I read a report a few months back that said that the gap between rich and poor has grown ever larger and the numbers of poor has also increased greatly.... and that was in this country, the wealthiest country in the world, I can't even fathom the horror this is when seen world-wide....

they don't call us "blue collar" any more, now it's "the working poor".... what the f^^^K difference does it make what they call it, it's an ugly reality that needs correcting now!!!

[redzone]

ps... your poem is one that rings not only with truth, but with a poet stinging pen... thank you

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, the collar's collar is faded...and it makes no difference...we are poor.
thank you so much for your insightful review, Curt.
j.

[Crowley]

Its a definite dichotomy, the blue collar wishing to have more, to be more, the white collar wishing that he had less responsibility and finding out that money can't buy certain essential things. Who is the happier? I guess it depends on which one you are. A writer, making an honest moderate income on a Mexican island on the Yucatan sounds good to me. I need people, and I need to eat and have a little fun, but I don't need over the top, but also don't want to be scratching. Great social comment

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and your reply is better than the poem...such true insight....i agree...who knows which is better...i think i would prefer to be a poor, but happy poet...and teaching will never make me rich...but the benefits of it, the joy, far outweigh the money.
thanks, Crowley.
j.

[Crowley]

Amen to that...but a little coin would be nice as well...lol!!!

[Lydia Shutter]

The life of the hard working blue collar family man. He goes to work every day and maybe has a beer on the way home. He knows he will never have an office in that fancy building he is helping to build. He knows he will never have enough in his savings account if he even has one. Still, he takes care of his family and has private dreams....because dreams are free, aren't they? I liked this. Good character study.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you so much for your insightful words, my friend...
j.

[Susan 🦋]

Awe now come on now...has this poor fellow forgotten about his hopes and dreams??? Granted, life can be such a challenge...but the tragedy here, is that this guy can't see beyond.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

some just can't seem to know when they have it pretty well...and some just never get passed tragedy and perhaps don't want to. quite sad really,
thank you for your insight, Susan,
j.

[John the Baptist]

A lot of heavy images in this one. Many are stuck in life situations that don't seem to offer any respite. One of the reasons why we have so much substance abuse.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your insight, John...always appreciate your visits and feedback.
j.

[john l smith]

It's a convoluted system.
some blue collars can make big bucks but most can't and there is definitely that after work, down to the pub mentality.
On the flip side, some of the money paid to those upper echelons is mind numbing

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, isn't it? mind numbing for sure.
thank you for your insightful reply, john,
j.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I am getting a political statement in this as the economy falters and ordinary working folk cannot make ends meet. It has a dystopian feel to it as dreams a re shattered and there is no way up.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your insightful words, John,
j.

[Another Relic]

There is a freedom that comes with interpretation. You're never wrong as long as you get something out of it. In this, I see someone who wanted to be a pilot but for health reasons wound up in a stressful job he hates. The unhappiness of routine makes the quality of his life miserable. I may have a different interpretation next week.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

oh, i really like your idea...thank you for your words, Sun spot,
j.