Let's take care of the necessities first: give people jobs, and find a way to get us out of poverty.
quote by Eartha Kitt

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Cleaners
This poem is dedicated to all those who do cleaning
of one sort or another.
Some people look down at others
for the jobs they do
and if your one of them
here is warning just for you.
You may think you’re intelligent,
but I don’t think you are.
You may think you are smart,
well, think again my friend.
There are a lot of smarter people
in jobs you may look down on.
Remember the old saying
never judge a book by its cover,
that also applies to jobs people do.
Some may only be there
to keep the money coming in
until the right job comes along.
One day your boss retires
and his job goes up for grabs.
You sit there pretty smug,
thinking that job will be yours.
You apply and don’t get it.
However, surprise, surprise
they give it so someone
you looked down upon.
You maybe snooty
and toffee nosed,
but give it a year or two
you may find yourself
doing the job they used to do.
So remember what I’m saying
never look down on anyone
no matter who they are.
Because some day in the future
they maybe looking down at you.
8 February 2008
poem by David Harris

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The Bare Necessities
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life
Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin' in the tree
To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life
Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw
Have I given you a clue ?
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!
So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard
'Cause let me tell you something little britches
If you act like that bee acts, uh uh
You're working too hard
And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true
The bare necessities of life will come to you
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life
The bare necessities of life will come to you
song performed by by Bowling For Soup

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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End Of The World....
i'm not concerned about the end of the world...
for me the world ends every day that we're
still fighting wars, that children around the world
go to bed hungry, that families are left homeless,
that men and women cant find jobs, that people
are denied justice and equality, that children cant
afford to go to school, that old people cant get
medical care, enough to eat, or a place to live...
that lonely people cant find love.... and that nobody
seems to give a damn!
poem by Eric Cockrell

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Poverty is relative, and the lack of food and of the necessities of life is not necessarily a hardship. Spiritual and social ostracism, the invasion of your privacy, are what constitute the pain of poverty.
quote by Alice Foote MacDougall

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The People We Don't Want To Know
From pay check to pay check many working class people have two jobs,
then it all dries up and there is no work and manual labourers are
called work shy…. I knew a woman with three jobs she was tired coming
home, yet boiled potatoes and fried fish for her children before falling
asleep, coughing a lot. She had tuberculosis and sent to a sanatorium,
and the children sent to foster homes. Her illness caused by unhygienic
home, people from the social services said. No one asked why a woman
should hold down three jobs to fed her children and no one said she was
a “deserving” poor whatever this word means. This inequity will go on till
we understand poverty is not a choice but a mishap of birth, few escape,
those who do will always carry the dishonour, the mark of Cain, by being
more hateful of poverty and branding the poor lazy. As the average actor
who got a role in a film that made him famed, his hate his own class, poor
himself once, reveals his fear of slipping back to poverty again; he harms
his flesh and blood in an attempt to get rid of his own stench of privation.
But the Haves can smell an imposter, but they do like money so perhaps
his daughter will make it to the The People We Don't Want To Knowball.
poem by Oskar Hansen

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Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones tend to take care of themselves.
quote by Dale Carnegie

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.
quote by Dale Carnegie

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Blaming Poverty On The Poor
Give us your deprived, your malleable muddled masses
hoping for a gentler taskmaster
Welcome to the multi-trillion dollar industry, Poverty
A.K.A, cheapest labor force
Poverty works, never ever unemployed
A much needed commodity to justify
White-collar crime classes
Teaching dastardly deeds—to procure monetary needs-
fostering avarice greed
Give us your deprived, your malleable muddled masses
hoping for a gentler taskmaster
Welcome to the multi-trillion dollar industry, Poverty
A.K.A., cheapest labor force
Poverty creates jobs for those financing the societal
Institution of ya godda pay more taxes
Blaming Poverty on the poor
Look! what Enron did to those less fortunate
Blaming Poverty on the poor
Did not corporations want a billion dollar welfare check
Blaming Poverty on the poor
Blaming Poverty on the poor
Give us your deprived, your malleable muddled masses
hoping for a gentler taskmaster
Welcome to the multi-trillion dollar industry, Poverty
A.K.A., cheapest labor force
No penance just punishment augmenting the pillar of economic pillaging
Poor people put in the pillory from the political pulpit
Poverty is prime property
Poverty pimps portrayed as political preachers purely punitive but polite
The pluralization of Poverty provides prestige of the patricians
Poverty, the promissory note from the bureaucratic infidel
The Truth will tell—the truth will tell
Poverty the patriotic prisoner on trial for treason
Copyright 2001
poem by Josephine DixonBanks

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In Every Way!
how many people are blind?
how many people are deaf?
how many by choice?
perhaps you still have jobs,
homes, food to eat, medical care.
perhaps you have investments,
a way to retire....
perhaps your family is happy,
and well taken care of...
i hope so for you!
millions of people hurting,
millions in need...
millions of children hungry,
millions who cant get an education.
millions enslaved by poverty,
millions left alone....
people with faces and names.
all of these are normal people.
whatever their language, their religion,
their sexual orientation.
all of these are people just like you.
and many of these have families,
just like you!
is it their fault they're victims?
perhaps they've worked their whole lives.
male, female, young, old.....
all people,
with mothers and fathers....
all people....
and no, America is not free.
the news we watch is tainted.
the truth is hidden from us.
killing people around the world
does not make us free....
books are being banned and burned,
prejudice and discrimination are rampant.
we have forgotten we are responsible for each other,
we have forgotten we are all immigrants here.
there are no illegal people,
all people are just people.
freedom demands equality,
in every way!
poem by Eric Cockrell

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Back To Greed
What's the problem?
Why is there a commotion in the streets?
We have created millions of jobs.
And half of the people weren't qualified,
To fulfill the positions.
And yet they have their jobs!
And people are working.
What's going on?
What is the protesting about?
'Well...
The people are disgruntled,
Because...
Well,
The have an issue with 'pay'! '
What issue?
'They want to get 'paid'.
They want pay for what they do.'
You can't satisfy these people!
First it was jobs.
That's all they screamed about.
Well,
They've got their jobs.
Now you say they want pay?
'Yes.'
What next will they be demanding?
FOOD?
Then what?
SHELTER?
What kind of operation they think we run here?
A 'social service agency'?
You tell them to go back to work.
Because they certainly will 'not' be going back to greed.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

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Who will care for the people?
Who will care for the people; lost, confused and can’t find their home
Who will care for the people; raped, striped and left without anything of their own
Who will care for the people; who once had land, cattle and a harvest to reap?
Who will care for the people; who now possess despair and fear that denies them sleep?
Who will care for the people; that served only kindness but were fed a platter of pain?
Who will care for the people; who have been inflicted with cruelty again and again?
Who will care for the people; who for generations were treated unfairly?
Who will care for the people; that are the reflection of me?
They maybe many but I will mention the one that is familiar
This can be none other than the honourable Mr. Hamilton Ratshefola
poem by Astell Collins

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You And Me(song)
i dont care what people think about me
i dont care what people say about me
i dont care about anything around me
all i care about is you
the thought of being with you makes me happy
your voice makes me tingle all inside
your name gives me this feeling i cant explain
i love you and those are the only words that explain how i feel about you
i dont care what people think about me
i dont care what people say about me
i dont care about anything around me
all i care about is you
you and me thats how were ment to be
you and me thats all we'll ever be
both of us together as one forever
i dont care what people think about me
i dont care what people say about me
i dont care about anything around me
all i care about is you
you give me feelings i cant explain
you make me feel like i never felt befor
i cant seem to get you out of my head
i dont care what people think about me
i dont care what people say about me
i dont care about anything around me
all i care about is you
i dont care, i dont care
all i care about is you
poem by wendi Collier

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Fleetwood
We were once a thriving town
envied by ports from miles around
plenty of fish and jobs for all
and then the pride before the fall
the fish are gone, the jobs are few
the town no longer what we knew
yobs with drugs, no jobs or hope
just endless puffing on their dope
older people afraid to pass by
who saw the good times and wonder why
i hope my children fly this town
and find somewhere nice to settle down
a place where maybe dreams come true
with jobs, and hope and a future too.
poem by Michelle Garner

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You go to Scandinavia, and you will find that people have a much higher standard of living, in terms of education, health care and decent paying jobs.
quote by Bernie Sanders

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Poverty In The 21st Century
It’s the 21st century
The media displays it day and night,
Poverty.
Poverty across the globe lies
Poverty cries out from the belly of little boys
Little girls, parents too
Desperately searching for food,
Shelter, clothing, for love,
Companion, for attention
Those with plenty, refuse
To amend, a world haunted by
Poverty.
Is poverty affecting the rich?
Are their poverty the same
As the poor in financial constrains?
For they, too, poverty of love
I see poverty in the learned
I see poverty in those whose
Selfish acts are destroying society.
I see poverty in all level of humanity
The world is still an imperfect place
Yet life is still beautiful, the wind
Blows, we see it not, give thanks
For what you possess, now go,
Help if you can along the way,
Help to eradicate poverty
In your surrounding, widen
Your boundary across your
Country, to nations of the world.
Help to fight poverty, now!
poem by Winston Harding

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Let Us First Care About Our Own People (In Answer To Don Mattera)
Let us first care about our own people,
to their preservation,
to jobs and education to them
while we give a future to our children.
Let us close the borders
to the millions of illegal aliens
and those that are here,
send them all back home
and give a chance to make a living,
for all of the people of this country
by merit that they can live in dignity
and can be free from oppression
or never will we burn old uniforms,
or forget grievances as new ones
are continually being formed,
or never will we be able
to turn our spent dreams
into something new and real,
or be better than our old traditions
be able to still the tumours in many hearts
or give our children any kind of future.
poem by Gert Strydom

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Stories Of Hope Series #10 Escaping The Ghetto
Living in the ghettos in the big city
Rats and roaches was his company
No one to turn to, nothing to see
Living in poverty and misery.
A wife and two teenage girls is what made his world.
When he had made his wedding vows
He did not expect a change from then to now.
People losing their jobs every day
Hours being cut, and drops in pay.
He thought he had the future in his hands
But with life it’s just a scam.
From the suburbs to the ghetto streets
But he landed on his feet.
He found out that anyone can get
To the low point in life.
Where it affects him, his children, his wife.
Everything had to be put in storage
And then finally sold.
His furniture, his personal possessions
And what ever gold.
Surrounded by so many people in the same boat
He had to find a way to stay afloat.
He found other people who felt the same as he
And was tired of living in this poverty.
They decided to pool their monies every week
A new way of living they would seek.
They decided that abandoned buildings
And homes was the way to go.
And recognition the banks would soon know.
Every house and building they redid
With pride and care, and with the community
Their work they’d share.
Soon the entire community started
To take pride, and real estate they
Started to buy.
Now this community is the best around
Better homes can not be found.
HOPE, LOVE, PRIDE, DETERMINATION
Made this fantastic creation.
If they can do it, so can you
You just have to follow through.
Not many people do get out.
But this is what HOPE,
and DETERMINATION is all about.
poem by Louis Rams

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Sonnet: The Magic of Poverty
A birth in poverty is luck supreme!
A death in poverty, a great blessing;
A life of poverty is rare a dream;
Achievements great, stark poverty can bring.
’Tis poverty that goads nations do feats;
’Tis poverty that stimulates scientists;
In everything, poverty, wealth just beats;
The greatest men were in poverty’s lists.
And poverty lessens our worries much;
Account to God will be much easier;
Poverty gives the saint a divine touch;
In poverty, poets can fly higher!
Poverty helps to shun worldly pleasures;
A soul in poverty, Heaven allures.
9-14-2002
poem by John Celes

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The Smell
Poverty exudes odors
Desperation takes on hues
Uncertainty loudly clamours
Homeless move about
In a cacophony of sound
Illness of the street people
Odors abound
Fear of future flattens
Death of innocence cries loud
Odors of the madness
Smell of poverty abounds
Senses acutely caressing
Filth of necessities sins
Odors changing futures
Individuals meld in sound
Poverty exudes odors
Ignorance carries loud
Smell of desperation
No matter the flattened feelings
Horror of distorted senses
Keeps the homeless
In storms
Odors abound
poem by James Smallwood

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These Americans are among the working poor with full-time jobs earning $5.15 an hour. Millions fall into this boat, even more when you consider that the poverty line has not been adequately adjusted to reflect the true level of poverty in this country.
quote by Marcy Kaptur

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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