THE PENSIONER
| She shuffles along in her tired old shoes They're polished but badly worn She pretends not to notice the ignorant few Who point to her heels with scorn Her old fashioned dress has seen better days But it's clean and neatly pressed And only those who are cold of heart Would snigger at how she's dressed She clutches her purse in her wrinkled hand As she scans the grocery aisle Though most of the prices are out of her reach She bravely tries to smile She selects the cheapest food she can find Then chooses a loaf of bread But as she approaches the 'checkout' She is filled once again with dread Her purse contains just a few dollars Her money is dwindling fast The 'pension' is still a few days off And she prays that her money will last Her life has changed in so many ways Not better, --- but for the worse And the only 'crime' she's commited Is the sin of the 'old age' curse And some of the young share her burden You'll find that their heart seldom sings As they struggle for daily existence On the pittance the pension check brings They worked and paid all their taxes 'Til the day that their health had flown And now they're doomed to struggle And it's through no fault of their ownl The economy seems to be booming But it has one horrible flaw It's heaven on earth for the wealthy But it's hell on earth for the poor The hard-hearted politicians Have no thought for her or her ilk As they parade around in tailored suits And hand-made ties of silk They claim that the budget's in surplus And the country hasn't a care But if Australia is rolling in money Where the hell is the pensioners share? Politicians suck up to the wealthy While the pensioner's life turns sour The poor can't make contributions It's the wealthy that keep them in power They're blind to those who have lost their health And blind to the plight of the poor They could ease the burden of many For the sake of a few dollars more The poor will forever be with us The old, and the weak, and the lame If we don't lift our voice to support them Then we all must shoulder the blame K.D. Abbott © 2007 |
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