You want us to trust you

But you break it at every turn

Do you know not trust is earned

And gotten in return?

 

The billionaires you bring in

You say it’s to grow our money

But the rich gets richer

And the poor gets poorer

 

We cannot retire

We do not dare to see the doctor

You keep increasing the minimum sum

But you wouldn’t put in a minimum wage

 

The prices continue to increase

But our wages have remained stagnant

So has your spending remained low

Why do you want the people to suffer?

 

Our forefathers built this country

So that we can ALL enjoy the fruits of their labour

But you’ve taken the fruits

And thrown us the leftovers

 

This is not the country we want

But hear it, you will not

You’d rather throw us into prison

Than try to see the reason

 

Then you say the people do not listen

But who’s not listening?

For we have spoken

But have our voices been heard?

 

My country, my home

This is where I belong

Every creed and every race

These are all just national day songs

 

You grow your salaries

Because you say you need integrity

But our salaries are not growing

Yet we continue to have integrity

 

You call us liars

But who are the greater liars?

We are only lowly bloggers

Not highly paid servants

 

You take away our money

You take away our pride

You leave us with no option

And so we write

 

You use the law to strike us down

You use your power to guzzle us

A single stick alone may hurt

But a bundle of sticks will not be broken

 

You break our soul

You break our spirit

But the people will unite

The people will only get stronger

 

My eyes are open

My heart is kind

The atrocities I’ve seen

The ones you hide

To speak is to wield the sword

The pen is might

For whence you are done with intimidation

The people shall rise and fight

 

This poem is dedicated to Leslie Chew for his fight against injustice.