“The Children Of Our Age” [Reflections on Book: Wm.C.King (ed) Portraits and Principles of The World's Great Men And Women Chicago: The King-Richardson Co. 1899 - #34/100]

This book reflects its source among
The industry which had become
The regulating pulse of life
For working husband, home-bound wife.

So “Work incessantly” as theme
Abounds – in light of it is seen
All manner of the woes of life,
Like “Idleness is workers’ blight”.

But now the children of our age
Have different problem – saint and sage
Are at a loss for what to do,
For jobs aren’t here for them – they flew –

To where the owners make stuff cheap,
Then sell it dear – for cash they seek;
But if we don’t have jobs to earn
Our cash, we cannot spend – so learned –

To “Put it on the credit card”
At interest rates which now retard
Recovery without a crash,
For long ago we burned our stash.

So work, yes, needs to separate
From income, if we are to take
Advice like this and gain rewards
From work from which such blessing pours.

But thirty days without our grub
And we are toast – so there’s the rub –
No cash as income and we die;
We gave our jobs and bought a lie.

So what to do, Lord? It’s a mess –
Full half the states in idleness
Or sub-employed, no fair exchange;
We’re hooked on “Cheap” or in that range.

“Stu, that’s the evil of this one –
Good work’s a thing, that when it’s done
Has rich rewards – and Veblen warned
Of this, but his advice was scorned.”

Okay, O Lord, I’ll persevere,
And hope all this becomes more clear,
For I don’t think solution’s here
As yet, at least – glad Kingdom’s near.

For without having place to stand
And work from, in this pleasant land,
Not sure how long we would survive –
Or carry on, before we die.

Thanks Lord for this.

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