tragic time

generation after generation

Americans have come and gone
good men and women

 have lived and toiled

generation after generation

leaving life a little better
path a little higher

for their children to come

generation after generation
laboring toiling climbing
to their ceiling
hoping to become the floor
for their little ones to come

generation after generation
laboring toiling climbing

for their children to have what they had

and more

praying that the following generations
will have the same heart
the same hope
as they

generation after generation
laboring toiling climbing
trusting those who follow
follow in the path they have made
the legacy left
to increase
and give again

generation after generation
laboring toiling climbing
praying trusting
the following genernations

would never stray
praying
that following generations
would never be

so spoiled

so selfish
so entitled

to serve themselves
leave nothing else
but the tab
for those who follow

generation after generation
laboring toiling climbing
praying the following generations
would never be so greedy
so inward
so hopeless
so bent
to spend all
that which was bought
at a price paid so dearly for

to destroy
trample
trod over a legacy so precious

the gifts of their fathers

their father's before
something that took so long to achieve
wasted
wasted
the ceiling becomes a pit
they came took left

leaving little

or nothing

for their children
and children's children
they came took left
leaving nothing

but a world of hurt
 their father's debt to pay

we are living in a day
of takers
we are living in tragic time