Paid Nothing

Lashed to the mast
of the minimum wage
the indentured bend
into the flames of post-
industrial servitude,
regaled daily with
the lies of fast food
rulers, pizza pie
kings and big box
emperors. Those
at the bottom
of the pyramid
scheme know the
price of resistance,
they know what
those swat teams
are for, they know
who the politicians
obey. So they struggle
on in deceit and thievery,
dreaming of firestorms
and the raising
of new flags,
dreaming
of retribution
and celebration.
For they also know
sometimes dreams
do come true, even
in the mightiest
of empires.

Paul Lojeski's poetry has appeared in journals and online. He’s also the author of the satiric novel, The Reverend Jimmy Pup. He lives with his wife and daughter in Port Jefferson, NY. Read other articles by Paul.