Tools of the Trade
no one can afford to be –
as bigoted and hateful as you
or your peers
we did not inherit the world
of cheap houses and cheap beer
we did not get given a welfare state
a clean slate,
and well paid, semi skilled jobs
where they paid you ten bob
and that provided enough
sadly, we do not live in that world
we fight harder and pay more
your ignorance,
did not actually win the war
but it was something society could afford
even when migrants were bought in
to do the jobs you did not want to do
because you were given –
all the tools of all the trades
employment and health care
cheap new houses all ready made
and no challenge –
offered on your point of view
it feels like your generations ignorance
is just another pair of worn out shoes
at school they were teaching you
but who knows what kind of view
none of us can afford to be –
as bigoted and as hateful as you
James Garratt – Tuesday 8th August 2023
More poems at
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/
More about this blog, The Boy Behind the Glasses, here
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/2020/01/08/the-boy-behind-the-glasses-an-introduction/
More poems from 2023 here
https://theboybehindtheglasses.com/category/poems-and-writing-2023/
Tools of the Trade – Written Tuesday 8th August 2023 (Aged 48)
The Boy Behind The Glasses. Poetry and Writing 