Upton Sinclair, ed. (1878–1968).
The Cry for Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest. 1915. | | | | The Straight Road |
By Paul Hanna |
(Contemporary American poet) |
| | | THEY got y’, kid: they got y’—just like I said they would. | |
| You tried to walk the narrow path, | |
| You tried, and got an awful laugh; | |
| And laughs are all y’ did get, kid—they got y’ good! | |
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| They never knew the little kid—the kid I used to know; | 5 |
| The little bare-legged girl back home, | |
| The little kid that played alone— | |
| They don’t know half the things I know, kid, ain’t it so? | |
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| They got y’, kid, they got y’—you know they got y’ right; | |
| They waited till they saw y’ limp, | 10 |
| Then introduced y’ to the pimp— | |
| Ah, you were down then, kid, and couldn’t fight! | |
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| I guess y’ know what some don’t know, and others know damn well— | |
| That sweatshops don’t grow angels’ wings, | |
| That workin’ girls is easy things, | 15 |
| And poverty’s the straightest road t’ Hell! | | | | |
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