Downsized

Once I had a job,
a nice house
my family liked.
We didn't have much,
but we were happy.

The Great Recession struck
and I lost my job,
couldn't pay the mortgage,
so the bank foreclosed the house.
When the bank couldn't pay its debts
the government bailed them out.

We moved into a cheap apartment
in a poor neighborhood,
where my kids were afraid
to go to the local school.

We managed to eat for a while,
food stamps, food pantries,
barely paid the rent
from my unemployment insurance.

Then Congress cut food stamps
gave the extra money
to agribusiness, rich farmers,
didn't renew unemployment insurance,
so we couldn't pay the rent.

I guess Congress spent so much money
bailing out banks, insurance companies,
there wasn't any left for us.

I can't find a job
no matter how hard I try.
We sold everything of value.
We're down to one meal a day.
We just got an eviction notice.

I don't know what we'll do
when they put us on the street.
I guess we're too small to save.