There's a new awareness rising up
That won't be soon forgotten
Among the downtrodden exploited class
Now revealed as the essential workers.
The entire country would quickly collapse
If they stopped taking care of everything
As everyone knows by now if you didn't already
And yet they are the lowest paid of all.
These are the jobs that make the world go round
Workers so often disrespected in ordinary times
Used to being invisible to the people they serve
Suddenly shown their potential power.
When working conditions put your life at risk
And you have a sense of yourself as somebody
And everyone around you knows they are essential
The situation begs for collective action.
If the underclass gets organized
Raising their voices demanding their due
That will be one very good thing
Comes out of this terrible pandemic.