Living Suicide, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)
The old man
Clocked in
On his 75th
Birthday
Toiled in
Construction
Toiled in manufacturing
His bones were creaking
The old woman
Clocked in on her
77th birthday
She had saved and saved
A denial here
A denial there
Insurance companies
Didn’t care
Both of them
Their cupboards bare
Bankrupt even with
Medicare
And that construction worker
And hotel maid
Two or three jobs
Every day
Under the smoke stacks
In poison rivers
Put food on the table
No heat in the winter
And all they do
Is get older and older
No dignity to sit down
No moment for slumber
Is this the “dream”
So fervently claimed?
This slow suicide
In such we take pride?
We cannot accept this
No mater what class
One may end up
No one should ever
Have to work till they drop
If you’ve put in your time
That should be enough
To retire in dignity
(end)
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Brian37 AKA Brian James Rational Poet...... My Poetry 
3 responses to “Living Suicide”
This is such a tender piece of writing, Brian. I agree with your thoughts and words wholeheartedly. Where I am, the pension age is currently 66, but this is increasing, firstly to 67 and then before much longer, 68! I find that appalling. People (like those in your poem) have toiled and fought through so many years, often of hardship, and could potentially only have a few years left on this Earth to ‘enjoy’ their old age if their health and state of mind are good. We shouldn’t have to live our lives like this. What happened to all those plans that people have for their happy retirement years? This poem is truly food for thought. Thanks for sharing.
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I think it should be 55.
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I agree, but I doubt that it’ll ever happen. Pity.
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