shrimp

I was born in a town with a two-dollar dock, Where the shrimp boats sit and the rich folks mock. Mama cleaned fish just to pay the rent, Daddy sold crab but the money got spent. And the preachers say life's a miracle ride, But they don’t buy diapers or stand by your side Shrimp ain’t cheap and neither is birth, Ain’t no free lunch down here on Earth. They scream about morals, they vote on the laws, Then cut every program with corporate claws. We’re stuck in a net, can't swim, can't breathe— And the tide don’t care what you believe. Lucy got knocked in the back of a truck, Working late shifts, just trying her luck. Clinic’s closed, two counties away, Gas tank's empty, bills won’t pay. But the TV men wear flags on their chest, Saying, “God bless life,” then defund the rest. Shrimp ain’t cheap and neither is care, Don’t talk about choice if the help ain’t there. You want babies born? Then pay for the need, Not just the prayer, but the bottle and feed. 'Cause life don’t grow on boats and dreams— It grows where justice plants the seeds. Economy’s booming if you’re top tier, But we’re eating ramen and shrimp once a year. It’s hard to raise kids on a waitress wage, When the laws are written by a think-tank page. Shrimp ain’t cheap and neither are lives, It’s more than heartbeats and nine-month drives. If you care so much, then walk that line— And feed the folks you claim are divine. Shrimp ain’t cheap, and nothing is… But compassion? That’s where we oughta begin