Elderly Choices Poem by louis rams

The elderly choices- hear their voices
As they get older they tend to dread
All the things that lie ahead.
Will I have enough money to buy medicine or food?
Which do I choose?
We work all our lives, just so that we can retire
Yet! The retirement age keeps getting higher.
When we get older, we should be able to see
All the beauties that the u.s. holds for me.

We are lucky if we have enough to get
Out of the house, to go and buy a shirt or a blouse.
We have to think twice about buying a pair of shoes
But if we don’t buy it then we lose.
but when we go to the pharmacy
We don’t expect it to be free.
We are willing to pay what they say
In order to live another day.

Then we think about what we are going to eat
Canned ravioli becomes a treat.
We had gotten tired of eating peanut
butter and jelly, it wasn’t filling our belly.
Now you say that social security has
Gotten out of hand.
When does it stop? When do we take a stand?
You have taken everything away from us
And you say in you to put our trust?

And now I have something to say to you
When you get to our age, “what are you going to do”?