Jobless!

Jobless!

Yes,
It is my label and level nowadays
You wink at each other when you see me
To evaluate me from my shoes to shirt
Jobless, aha haa! … Jobless, u hu huu!
You laugh endless
For my misery is your mirth

Jobless!
I am so jobless
But hey! I am not brainless
My clothes are tatters but I am smarter
The man that assisted you in math
Who used to write letters,
for your gal
The one you married
Is the same one here
Remember?
You used to say I am smart
Still is, but bit unlucky

Jobless!
Yes, I am
You nudge each other when you see
And say: he is lost it, he is a loser!
Don’t write me off yet
I am not rudderless
I know what I want
You seeing my station but not my destination
This situation, I shall conquer
For I am rowing steadily to my destiny
Wait!
Wait!
My day will come
By God, my day will come

Jobless!
To you it is my label
To me it is a passing tale
It is never my stable
Listen, Never!

Jobless!
You closed your doors to me
Look,
I am homeless but not hopeless
You avoid me that I am roofless
Don’t you think I am lucky?
In case of an earthquake?

Jobless!
Yes my friend, that is me
Shocked that I don’t smell?
I bathe by the stream
Brush my teeth with tree branches
And of course I lack a body odor
Even without powder

Jobless!
You brand me ambitionless?
You are so ignorant of my mission!
I have swum a crocodile invested river
I have chanced the sea in wrecked ship
Been a stowaway close to dead
I have survived walking a wild desert
Almost made cannon fodder in the border
In search of a better life
Only to be a refugee
Is that being ambitionless?

Jobless!
Yes
Say that a thousand times
But
I am not planless
I will live to see that I am blessed
I am not dreamless
I will have bread and friends again
I am not helpless
With my hands
I will work
With my mind, I will make
Sneer and jeer your last
Chide and deride all you like
Despise and spice your jokes
For by God,
It will soon be my turn to laugh
And live life again
By God,
that day is coming
My day is coming
Coming is my day
By God,
It is coming!

(This poem was inspired by Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise)