Just a Thin Slice

You give a thin slice
away to your mother.

You give a thin slice
away to your father.

You give a thin slice
away to your teacher.

You give a thin slice
away to your boss.

You give a thin slice
away to your peer group.

You give a thin slice
away to your church.

You give a thin slice
away to your husband.

You give a thin slice
away to your wife.

You give a thin slice
away to your children.

You give a thin slice
away to your guru.

One day you wake up
and you find that it's true.
You've sold
yourself out and
there's none left
for you.

You're either in jail
or turning green
(with envy).

Or going crazy in
the suburbs
providing work
for a psychiatrist
(what's new?).

You try and you try
but you cannot break free,
unless you have
the money
to buy the key
(even that only leads
to ashes and shards).

Now your feet
are in chains
and your mind
has gone numb,
while the state and
the church
have you under
their thumb.