Resigned to my karma

I have a sense of purpose.
I know that what I do
Contributes to a greater whole.
It makes a difference for mankind.

I am able to rise above
petty differences that could
get in my way, obscure my view,
Preclude me from seeing the big picture.

I have carved a cavern for myself,
Where I crawl in, knuckle down
and get on with what it is I am good at.

I don’t worry about the price of oil,
Or the anguish borne by my forefathers
As they did their bit to build a legacy
for the masters’ children. All I can do
is to know and to remember.

It is really not cold in this shell.
These fans billowing to keep
the textiles dry, are merely contraptions
to entertain my rheumy eyes.
This is not a hard concrete floor
numbing my feet with its iciness;
it is valuable storage space
For these finished garments,
which will soon adorn
The bodies of my brothers and sisters.
A pair of Levi’s or a Gap sweater
are commensurate to my health.
They are well worth the pain
I have started feeling in my chest these days.

I have a sense of purpose.
I know that what I do
Contributes to a greater whole.
It must be of value to the world.
How can it not be, when I get paid
Less than a dollar a day
For my pain?