Queueing at the broad front desk
of Welfare’s downtown office,
I brace myself for
the bureaucrats’ strip search.
I am unemployed – again !
These front desk people read my forms
bring my name up on their screen.
They mutter “No, no, this one will
have to go to the supervisor.
She’s been to us before.”
Social Welfare still speak
sternly after twenty years.
Their elderly code number
follows me to show
a marked recidivist.
Over sixty
unemployed
irrelevant
out of date
like mouldy cheese.
A disrespectable old age !
Previously posted February 2016.
lifecameos 
Here in France we appreciate an aged mouldy frommage… there is value in it and it deserves our attentions and respect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not so much here, sadly ….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do understand and perhaps you understand there is a long list of why I choose to be where I am…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope it is working out well for you there…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
It surpasses all dreams.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful !!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Naughty naughty!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It certainly felt like that. I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was an ordinary law abiding citizen, they just looked at me sideways. In fact I was not eligible for the unemployment benefit. Work made a lot of us redundant and we were advised to apply for it to start getting ourselves into the system, which turned out to be useful thing to do for other reasons.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Social security systems often appear hostile or forbidding, although they were set up with the best intentions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
…but 3 times as capable and diligent as the 1-day old start-up cheese.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course !
LikeLike