Fair Sunday

Jean Sietzema-Dickson


“It’s not fair!”
“That’s mine.”
“Give it back!”
Children’s words these
heard from adults
in a world turned upside down.

We were taught to respect bosses
and to estimate our losses
or to budget for a surplus
in the days before the fall.
But since bank’s deregulation
greed has led our protestation
that we only want what’s best for us
and cable free for all.

As we live for filthy lucre
which some gain by Tatts and euchre
there is little time for anything
that keeps a family strong.
Now the fact of Sunday trading
which, till now, we’ve been evading
is upon us and we’re conscious
that it’s ruining our song.

For the little traders struggle
and their work and family juggle
to maintain a sense of living
that is still apart from work;
and it will be quite amazing
if they find time to be grazing
by still waters, in green pastures
while the bosses seem to shirk.

For the ones who own big business
have no time to be good listeners
as they rush about for meetings
and think how to make big bucks;
but the word of Amos warns them
that the Lord will surely scorn them.
If they do not think of justice
they’ll, one day, run out of luck.

And we, who sit here smugly
thinking we are not so ugly,
need to get into the action
now, before it is too late;
so we need to kneel and ask for
Spirit power to do a task for
the Lord who is our maker
that his name be known as great!
 

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