job

a job
what is a job?
a source of income
a sense of self
capitalism’s penance.

what do you say
to someone without a job?
how do you see them
or feel them
do you care even?

a pandemic emerged
five months in, no prospects
do you loathe yourself?
yes, you do
there’s not much more you can do.

family members despise you
they see you as a plague
a burden, a slug in the machine
to them without a job, you’re a nobody
your dreams died cause you’re lazy.

like it’s all up to you
no one blames the culprits
the ineffective governments
politicians with no plans
a deadly tyrannical system.

acknowledging this
would mean we ain’t in full control
but we’re not and that’s the truth
scream that back
jobless or not, you’re still here.