STEREOTYPES

“Move out the way,

You filthy drunk!”

A rich man shouts;

Hair slicked back, eyes both sunk.

The Drunk lifts up his weary head,

As he begins to curse,

He sees the man, as rich as can be,

And then begins this verse.

“How can I be a filthy drunk?

When it’s plain to see I’m not.

I wash myself five days a week,

And I clean each and every spot!

“And how about you bein’ stinkin’ rich?

Though does that mean you stink?

I think not my dear friend.”

The Drunk gives him a wink.

“Just ‘cause I wear these shabby clothes,

And you wear shirts and ties.

It does not mean we’re different now,

‘Cause we’ve both got dark brown eyes!

“You walk around with your suitcase,

And frequent flyer tag.

And me, myself, I walk around,

With a creased, brown paper bag.

“I’m head barfly down at the pub.

You have a job, where you’re the boss.

You shout out orders, an’ so do I!

We’re so much the same, I’m at a loss!

“You make your money

From dusk till dawn,

I make mine,

Filling out a form!

“You’re into shares,

And stocks and things,

I drink my share,

Of stock and sing!

“No matter how you look at it,

You and I are almost brothers.

Why hell, I’ll even wager that

We’ve got two different mothers!”

By this stage,

The rich man has had enough,

“Get lost you homeless bastard!

Go on! Shove off! Get stuffed!”

“Homeless? Shock! Horror! Gasp!

Your ignorance amuses me!

And I’ve prob’ly walked these streets fer years,

‘Cause me parents have abused me!

“The media has clouded your mind,

You must be off your face!

The streets would be filled with drunks,

If homelessness was the case!

“Here’s the problem,

It’s a secret, but I’ll let you in,

We love the taste of beer and spirits,

We love a life of sin.

“Come on! Admit it!

You like to share a drink!

And if I started callin’ you a drunk,

Well then what would you think?

“I wear a tie,

And have a job.

I’m a businessman,

I’m not a slob!

“I work real hard behind a desk,

Twenty hours a day.

I’m definitely not like you!

That’s prob’ly what you’d say.

“If I put on a suit and carried a briefcase,

Would I be well respected?

Uh-uh, my friend; let me tell you,

I’d be full on rejected!

“So don’t give me this cock and bull,

About gettin’ some employment!

I’m not what they’re lookin’ for,

So drinking’s my enjoyment!

“I know, I know, I talk too much,

I should let you get along.

I mean you’re so busy with work an’ all,

If I haven’t got you wrong?”

The Drunk steps aside;

The man tries to barge in.

An arm stops him in the doorway –

“On second thoughts…” A grin.

“I think you need to hear

Just what I have to say.

Plus, I’ve got nothin’ better to do,

To pass the time away.”

“Get out the way, you damn fool,

I’ll read it in your book!”

The rich man grits his well-kept teeth,

The Drunk gives him a look.

“A book! A book!

I’m glad you brought that up!

I wrote one sixteen years ago,

The publishers tore it up!

“A man like me could never write,

Just stick to drinking beer!

I tried to take the mob to court,

But the councillor made it clear…

“A man like me could never win,

No job, no money, no chance.

A poor no-hoper, is what they said,

I didn’t get a second glance.

“It all came down to one long word,

The word was ‘stereotype’.

People only have to hear it,

And they believe the hype!

“An unemployed, bum like me,

Would never stand a chance,

In a world where stereotypes run wild.

And so I dance this dance.

“We listen to what society says,

And make their labels come true.

We are called ‘drunks’,

So we do what drunks must do!

“You’re a businessman,

It’s plain to see;

Money for wants, money for needs.

The more you get, the happier you’ll be.

“And on that note,

You’re free to go!”

The Drunk moves off,

The man moves slow.

“Hey, Drunk!”

He calls, pulling out a note.

“Here’s ten dollars.”

The Drunk puts it in his coat.

“Thank you kind, sir.”

Replies the bedraggled figure.

“I guess I’ll be off now,

To go an’ buy me liquor.”