THE FORGOTTEN

THE FORGOTTEN 
* 
I was born here in this country 
some fifty-six years ago. 
I'm not an illegal immigrant 
and I'm not from Mexico. 
I'm your sister, your brother, 
your father, or your mother, 
too young for social security 
yes, too young for that, 
But too old for somebody 
to want me on the job 
* 
Nobody watches over us 
from way up there in heaven 
Nobody buys us gas stations 
or even Seven-Elevens
When it comes to hand outs 
we're last in line. 
But always the first, 
in the unemployment lines. 
While Uncle Sam takes care 
of everybody else, 
makes sure the banks 
and insurance companies 
have helped themselves, 
what happens to us now? 
Is it out of their hands? 
Cause we're fast becoming 
the scourge of your land! 
* 
We're the baby boomers, 
who didn't ask to be born. 
there's so many of us here, 
not enough to go around! 
Not enough jobs! 
Not enough hope! 
Some just give up 
and get high on dope!
But there's not enough dope, 
in the whole damn US, 
To make us ignore it; 
to make us forget! 
* 
When we become sick, 
who'll be paying our bills? 
The Mexicans in Mexico, 
who have all our jobs? 
As we dip into savings 
to try and save our house, 
Now banks take them back 
as we sleep in our cars! 
* 
As unemployment benefits, 
become totally exhausted, 
you're no longer getting by, 
So you're no longer counted. 
Since they play the shell game 
with quack accounting practices 
You're wondering what the Hell 
are the real numbers? 
As we beg for handouts 
from those that were spared, 
and we'll dig in the dumpsters 
for something in there. 
* 
And they don't even count 
the ones that give up. 
Use a tie on a closet bar 
to hang by the neck 
or turn on the ignition 
in a windowless garage 
You won't hear about them 
on the evening news 
Only about bailouts 
And greedy CEO's 
and how they need help 
getting out of their debt 
Why don't they sell the houses 
that they all took back 
or use them for firewood 
and buy some more crack. 
* 
As check out is starting to 
seem like an option 
cause they're all too ashamed 
of becoming a burden
to their children 
and what will become 
of our younger kids 
who turned to us in need 
for somewhere to live? 
They lost their jobs too 
and before too long 
They'll get hired again 
when the economy 
becomes strong. 
But what will become 
of the *40 to 62? 
The ones not wanted 
what will they do? 
The ones now forgotten 
in their very own country 
An American shame and 
That's NOT how it should be. 
* 
WordPlaya, May 2009

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
- ADEA - 29 U.S. Code Chapter 14 
* 
The ADEA prohibits employment discrimination nationwide based on age with respect to employees *40 years of age or older. The ADEA also addresses the difficulty older workers face in obtaining new employment after being displaced from their jobs, arbitrary age limits.