Economy Poem by Patricia Williams

Beautiful clothes, soft warm coats and nice shoes
Sometimes these are not things we can choose
Thrift shops, slightly worn and pre-owned clothes
Can keep you warm but some turn up their nose
If robbing Peter to pay Paul is becoming your norm
And you put on two sweaters just to stay warm
Then you have joined the numbers being observed
With all of the others who wait on the curb
For the bus that may not be coming on time
To a possible job or a better life down the line
We need to turn corners where we actually care
About our neighbors welfare and doing our share

When you are figuring your bills and you are short
Think of those who can't pay anything for support
Who may stand at the doorway of the Gospel Mission
Thinking of a past life and for a home be wishing
America will turn the corner from this down turn
For a past life many may still go on and yearn
Some may never recover and sink into depression
While economist say we are coming up from this recession
We have lost home, jobs, and our sense of security
And replaced our way of life with one of constant worry
If we could learn a lesson that sometimes less in more
And settle for more realistic dreams than we had before