by Tom Bauer
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| William Blake (1757–1827) “Behemoth and Leviathan.” Pen and black ink, gray wash, and watercolor, over traces of graphite. Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1903. The Morgan Library & Museum. |
New ‘Striketober’ looms as US walkouts increase amid surge in union activity. Support for unions is on the rise as workers take action to raise pay and conditions amid booming company profits. —The Guardian, September 26, 2022
Was that ever a thing in ancient times?
Did it happen building the pyramids?
Those workers weren’t slaves but they didn’t get much.
When did unions really begin? When did
inequities of behemoths begin?
Perhaps it is a species thing. Feels old.
The feeling of, the shape of, a company,
is an old shape dragging a trench across time.
This rough beast shapes us with an owning force,
a power center employing thousands, making
us swarm to assigned tasks for minimal pay
and no share in the gains made by the few.
This behemoth of shape, this company, looming
block with a whip in hand, stands over us still.
Tom Bauer's an old coot who lives in Montreal and plays a lot of board games.