Austerity Blues

By Stanley Collymore

I didn’t ask to be born and don’t recall ever being questioned if
I really wanted to be here; but I am! And having arrived and
with this earthly abode, for how long is quite unclear,
involuntarily my home, I’ve done everything that
was expected of me and, quite literally even
if I say so myself, a darn sight more than
many who’ve easily ended up a lot
better off financially.

Now those aren’t sentiments of a heart eaten up by anger,
bitterness or callous jealousy, just a natural concern
that in this climate of severe belt-tightening and
grim austerity it’s conscientious and
hardworking folk like me who’re
left to carry the can, and suffer
the consequences of
unseemly poverty,
which can’t be
right in a society whose government and elected
MPs, while not practising what they preach,
yet talk incessantly of us all being in it
together and falsely insinuate it’s
all to do with fairness and
equality of opportunity.

© Stanley V. Collymore
15 February 2013.