Retirement age up to 67
If you don’t die in work and already in heaven 
A life of toil just got longer
Declining health, not getting stronger

The 9-5 really taking its toll
When you really should be on the Costa del Sol 
Back’s done in and your hands are all crippled
From a lifetime of work, done on the fiddle
So give me my pension, I’ve done my time 
I’ve paid into the scheme over my life time
51 years of work, it’s modern slavery
Government extorting money outta you and me
So where’s our money gone over this time 
Why have you raised the age to the average death time
Taking away right to protest, and human rights 
Paying in for years, and just disappear outta sight

Government raising the age constantly
Never letting anyone reclaim part of the fee
Useless eaters that all we become
And never add up to the total of our sum
Life support disappearing into thin air
Nothing to eat, and no one to care
No heat, no shelter, just being priced out to die 
Moving the carrot with every step we try
No-one’s interested in your life and what you’ve done
Especially now you’ve got no income 
So just fuck off into the corner, and wither away 
Nobody’s interested in anything you got to say
So now you’ve died, and you’re brown bread
And everyone starts recounting the things that you did 
And people remember things you’ve said 
Funny how interesting you become once you're dead

Jude Price is a Wales-based poet and performer.
Poetry submissions to thursdaypoems@gmail.com.