TAE Gallery: artwork, photography, poetry, songs, and book arts


For Bread and for Meat

Hello good friend,
How be you this day?
Hail you to the man that you meet.


What be your credit,
What be your gain?
Query you to the man who has none.


Fare thee well and good fortune,
Bid you ever so kindly
To the man standing broke and undone.


My wages had I, to the landlord did go,
To the grocer for bread and for meat.
Three kids stand in need and a wife
To be pleased
By my labors that leave me no life.
Oh troubles have 1
Be this my fair lot?


You bid him good day
For it's hot
And it's late,
You must be on your way.


So with a shrug of his shoulders,
A sigh in his chest,
He lifts once his load,
Gives it his best
Then carries it home to his wife.

 

 

© 1986 Thomas A. Ekkens

This poem is from Collected Poetry of Thomas A. Ekkens—Early Works.

You can also see this above stipple drawing, Self-portrait of an Artist in His Twenties (2 of 3), in our Artwork section.