We Poor Rise

By WordWulf, 11th Jan 2011 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/ephxikyy/
Posted in Wikinut>Writing>Poetry

We poor rise
lavish upon our children
hope and a peace of bread
water bites, torn nipple

We Poor Rise

We poor rise
respond to the dust of bosses
our mortal fate masters
toil until and past
all aching breath of flesh
considered free
when given the choice
where to sweat and bleed
appreciative as of gift

We poor rise
our only strength in numbers
yet weakened
as armies, clerks, and task masters
dependent upon largesse
bootlickers and hand-men
voices chained, the holler
what these above demand
even the will to wail

We poor rise
find solace in the eyes of Gods
handed down hollow
warped by design
to control our bodies
by lying to our spirits
promise of citadel
mortar brick, stained glass
ain't no safe house religion

We poor rise
lavish upon our children
hope and a peace of bread
water bites, torn nipple
open a vein to sustain them
drain ourselves of necessity
and when the time comes
with a sigh of defeat
fall back and hand them over

We poor rise
attended by unfathomed ecstasy
know ourselves as gifted
for as we cease to look out
and begin to see in
the reward of solitude
a forced march to self
denied a life of privilege
though certain of defeat

We poor rise
count our two and twenty
a foot upon the spade
the length and width of a man
give homage to the earth
and the sweat of our brethren
no weakness in death here
with six men to carry
we plant ourselves like weeds

Meet the author

WordWulf
Tom Sterner lives in Redding, California and Arvada, Colorado with wife Kathy. He has been published in numerous magazines and on the internet, including Howling Dog Press/Omega, Skyline Literary Review, The Storyteller, and Flashquake. His interne...(more)