I was young, still naive
wanting badly to believe
that all one saw could be obtained
that life was living unconstrained
how I ran past youth, swift and sure
convinced, completely, the world was pure
upon arrival it became quite clear
this world was theirs and I was here
not for my own desires to pursue
just a worker to support the few
the few that owned all I might want
and I’d work fiendishly or be forgot
so I did, I laboured, a jaded slave
their walls to build, roads to pave
whatever made, I could not pretend
belonged to me, I was not an end
a system with no king for a coup
only politicians that corruption renew
they preached me free markets, not men
made idleness and free thought a sin
god on their side, then science too
where I found hope, they would construe
only reminders of work to be done
sold me their lies, one by one
in frustration I bred my own replacement
stupid, hoping they’d get better placement
so I gave away my life; now feeble and old
can barely subsist on the money they stole
how long should we live in quiet protest
in a system that lets only dead men rest