Quiet Poetry Lounge : my crutch, it's gone...

dnommo

Well-Known Member
REGISTERED MEMBER
Mar 19, 2001
2,059
16
Baltimore, Md.
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Teacher of English, Literature & Poetry
i dropped this on a month or so ago about the issue of welfare and well seeing how the tone in the room is addressing such i reposted for more insight...


i recently had a conversation with a school mate of mine and we were discussing how our city has changed since i've been gone. the city imploded all ofmthe housing projestc to put up rowhomes and the old tenants have been pushed out to the suburbs. they are angry about this and the brother i talked to really did not know how he sounded when he expressed himself. this is my view of what came up from the conversation:

My crutch, it's gone,
must find a job, no more fun;
No time to play, got to work,
for my crutch the gov'ment jerked;
They say I'm crazy,
that I'm the "paid lazy"
for I get a check first of da month
for thirty days of heavy "Do-nothin"
Now they say I have to be employed,
go back to the misery of being a "house-boy"
Why do I hafta find a job,
I'm tired of whitey trying to play God,
They're interrupting my life, don't make no sense,
just because their tax money's paying my rent;
I don't care if I'm a generation reciever
of the "Temporary loss-of-my-job" reliever;
That's what it's there for, people like me,
The socially disadvantaged with my 45" wide screen t.v.;
Those gevernment folk, they don't understand
how difficult it is trying be a strong black man;
I need some help once in a while,
got to keep living that lavish lifestyle;
Going out every night, sleeping in everyday,
no time for work, just play, play, play:
I'll find a job, one of these days,
It's real easy, I'll just walk in and say;
"I'm an underpriveleged, socially deficent, inner city man"
"I'm a part of the supply that affirmative action demands,
that you, good sir, are required to hire me,
not, for my lack of qualifications, but, just mere decency."
and sure as you know it, I got me a job,
I don't know what I'm doing but, I thank God,
For it was he who showed me the way,
Evanthough I'm too busy for church on Sundays;
So this welfare reform, it don't scare me at all,
I'll just keep working until the walls begin to fall,
around those who think that welfare is a crutch,
who claim that poeple like me use it too much,
They don't know how hard it is for the working poor,
they're out in the stands trying to keep score,
Criticizing all those out there living off the state,
who always got their hand in the welfare plate,
taking a extra piece of the government cheese,
and have the nerve to even say "thank you" and "please";
Well, if that's me, then you got me all wrong,
for i know that I won't be here long;
I'm moving up in the world, i gotta roll;
cause next month, my house they gonna explode;
They got something new for the non-working man,
It's called the "Move-to-oppurtunity" prograam;
But, that won't affect me, nope, not at all,
'cause I already know how my plan will fall;
I got me a house, MTO was too late,
Wanna know how I got? Section 8.
 
Interesting, Interesting, Interesting piece...sad to say it's the all-to familiar anthology of those who are not working...
I recognize the stance of this conversation and unfortunately hear these attitudes whether justified or not, being the Director of Community Employment Strategies for a very large human service organization here in Minneapolis, welfare-to-work programs are within the menu of services that are offered ... directly relating to the continuum within my consortium that I oversee...

welfare-- backwards to me; means farewell (- one l).

Definitely have heard these comments on a "regular"!

Thanks dnommo...this is deep and there's something heavy happening convaluting the thoughts of our brothas/sistahs...


Much :heart:
 

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