Can Do - Poem #12

Staring at the pile of bills
doesn’t make ’em any smaller
shuffling the envelopes
doesn’t get the mortgage paid.
Out o’ work a whole year now
running out of unemployment
must apply for food stamps soon
get the kids on Medicaid.
Keep on sending resumes
showing up for all the job fairs
checking out the Monster boards
unemployed don’t have a prayer.
Gone through  all our meager savings
raided our retirement
nothing left for son’s tuition
siren call of Army Strong.

Praying’ he don’t take a bullet
cause his dad can’t find a job.

Had to sell my one good auto
driving the old clunker now
down to basic tv cable
house worth less than what I owe.
Humped since graduation day
busted my a*s royally
they left us to go overseas.

Treated like a one night stand
gone with out a morning kiss.

Economy’s improving now
don’t know where cause I don’t see it
can’t support my wife and kids
ashamed I’ll have to call her dad

“Can we come and stay with you?”

Taught to play by all the rules
now those dreams are just mirages
while the politicians say
“Got to cut those benefits
gettin’ checks will make you shiftless
sap your “can do” attitude!”

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