Covid-19. Pandemic. Virus. Worldwide.
No vaccine. Millions infected. Thousands died.
Gratitude for the EMT, the doctor, the nurse
Applause. Well deserved. Unrehearsed
But, what about the driver of a funeral hearse?
What about the janitor?
What about the maid?
Over worked. Under paid.
What about us?
Our work is an essential public service
We fear Covid-19 and we are nervous
We work during the pandemic like medical workers do
We keep working because you need us too
Will we receive your praise?
Will we get a much-needed raise?
We are truck loaders, cashiers, and grocery store clerks
We are the people who pack a lunch for work
We are the attendant at the gas station
12 hour work-days without hesitation
Do you use public transportation?
Taxis, buses, subways, trains
We work in the sunshine. We work in the rain.
We drive18-wheelers across America’s roads
We transport America’s heavy loads
When will we hear your applause?
Do you intend to recognize our cause?
Our cause is to live and to be virus free
Like you, we don’t want to expose our family
We are utility workers and meat packers
Hard workers. We are not slackers.
Personal protective equipment is in short supply
We don’t want our jobs to cause us to die
We are public school teachers and teacher aides
Your children, we educate and assign grades
For teachers, there has been faint praise
However, there has not been a pay raise
We are seasonal workers on farms
Strained backs. Weak legs. Tired arms.
Do you hear the exhaustion in our voice?
We work hard. We have no choice.
If we wake up, we go to our jobs
Many of our employers are wealthy snobs
We have to pick up garbage, recycle trash
Do you tell yourself we have enough cash?
Do not be deceived.
A living wage, we do not receive.
We deliver packages, medicine, and the mail
You expect us to work without fail
Sadly, we disproportionately die from Covid-19
Underlying conditions. Our health is not pristene.
For the sake of our family, we would like to rest
We would like to earn enough to invest
Health insurance, we cannot afford
Our work ethic cannot be ignored
We are the bellhop, the porter, the red cap
We deserve to hear your hands clap
Working at our job is daily expected
Yet, daily we do not feel respected
We work behind the scenes. We work the front lines.
For us, working conditions are not fine.
Why is there no fuss about what happens to us?
We are the us too many refuse to see
We are the daily necessity
We are the us we all need
Humble, hard-working, with a family to feed
CeLillianne Green Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved