The Cinder-Path

Years upon years

Paid for in sweat

Dirty money, tainted

With blood and tears

And for many more of toil

The Lord gives us this day

Our daily bread

With a handful of soil

 

Work to live

Or live to work

The ideal is the same, a choice

By no other name

No better than a warning

To do what we’re told

And do what we tell ourselves

Then tell one another

To follow the cinder-path

To belching smoke

From the chimney of industry

The symbol of progress

The factory of earning

Or the trapdoor of death

For those who may fail

Or choose to opt-out

Life’s just too fast for you

Schnell! Schnell! Look out!

It’s written in iron above the gates of Hell

For those about to die:

“Arbeit macht frei”

 

 

Planes, trains and automobiles

Computers, telephones

Electric wires

Of mortal coils

For profit and spoils

Creation, production

And human consumption

To buy ourselves, sell ourselves

Trade ourselves debt-ward

Or loan ourselves deeds

For our handful of soil

Given by God as our daily bread

Tainted, dirty money

Paid for in sweat

With blood and tears

Years upon years

And for many more of toil

With one last sigh, I die

And wrought in iron on the gates of Heaven:

“Arbeit macht frei”

Reviews

[Crowley]

Triumphant writing, I get polar emotions when reading this because in my mind it is set with a backdrop and death and despair and hoplessness, but mostly I don't think its about the holocaust at least not at eye level. Its tempting for me to cast that judgment and look at in that light, but that is the easy way out. I like to think of it as a write about genetic vs. environmnetal ethic, and how the path has become perilously treachorus with traps of our own making. Pretty damned good s**t here my boy.....good to see you around.

[Robin]

societal survival - redemption in conforming

I'm hearing pink floyd in the background ...

[Christie Moses]

I love the cynicism here. Sad, and very true....
life is a constant battle of survival and then, well....