One Ounce Of Gold Poem by Talile Ali

I couldn't believe this fact
But when I thought about it, I froze
There are those who think that a family can live for a month
on less than one single once of gold

One once of gold, I tell you
One ounce of gold, it's true
There are people who believe a family can live on less
Than one once of gold, that's me and you!

They expect folks to accept jobs where
They are paid less than an ounce of gold a month
To pay their bills, and dress their ills
And save a little to invest, like a dunce

But the truth is that this is insane
In fact it's unheard of and more
For a family needs more than specs of gold dust
To be compensated for a month of labor and chore

And we as a nation need to really think
About what we are working for
And compensating people fairly for their work
Instead of trickling down less than a ounce, so poor

I am ashamed! I am shocked!
That we have allowed this to continue so long
To pay people less than what they are worth
How could we have got it so sinfully wrong?