The Wage Freeze

He came home with a heavy heart – a bureaucrat and dad;

And said unto his little brood "The news is very bad."

"Obama froze my wage today, so we must sacrifice;"

"Mother, serve the caviar but don't put it on ice."

"Junior, I'm afraid that Harvard won't be taking you – "

"you'll have to be a man and so with Princeton you'll make do."

"Sally, you must get a job, or husband – do it now."

"Per annum do not settle for much less than 80 – thou."

"And little Tommy, I'm afraid your tree house in the back"

"is now a rental unit, since we face a daunting lack."

"The upstairs maid must go back to her home in Mexico."

"The cook had better learn her own oregano to grow."

The little fam'ly huddled in the wake of this disaster,

Stalwart and determined, though their hearts beat somewhat faster.

The father took a second job, consulting for a fee –

It barely covered payments on their brand-new SUV.

Like pioneers they'll struggle with the challenges they've met –

Then retire on a pension that's half the National Debt.