Before the robots came and the jobs vanished, we worked shoulder to shoulder, sweat dripping down our backs. We built more than steel, we built brotherhood. Our union was ironclad, solid as the girders we raised. It wasn’t easy, but Goddamn, those were good times.
We’d clock out, head straight to the local dive, drowning the day’s grime in cold beer and cigarettes. Tales of triumph and tragedy spilled forth, the hum of guitars and laughter filling the smoky room. We knew then, that together, we couldn’t be broken.
But now? All those factories shuttered, men laid low, replaced by machines. Folks say progress, but I see betrayal. This country forgot who kept the lights on, who paid the bills. Now, they whine about a little dirt under their nails, soft as jellyfish.
They think we’ll fade quietly, but they’ve misjudged the old guard. We may be weathered, but the fight still burns within. One day, maybe, folks will look back and recognize the true heroes, the men and women who made America great. Until then, we’ll keep raising our glasses, reminiscing, and praying for a return to glory.
>Soulkyn