The First Union, a poem

By Charlie Averill

So often now we hear alot about the Middle East.
We wonder why they fight so much, and why it hasn't ceased.
Many books and writings, will help us with the quest,
but of them all I think I've stumbled on the very best.

Like many other questions, the answers we are liable
to find within the holy book, the one we call The Bible.
Even our Unions history, goes way far back you see,
to when the trodden Israelites were seeking to be free.

Ole Pharaoh thought he'd show em all by pulling dirty tricks,
and making them without no straw, just keep producing bricks.
But those folks said, "enoughs enough, our straw Pharaoh did rob",
and Moses told em, everyone, to sit down on the job.

So when the question comes "who was the first labor leader"?
You can feel mighty proud and sure to tell the reader;
Moses led the first sit down strike, and that ain't no jive,
and if you don't believe me look it up in Exodus five.
© Charlie Averill 1993