DAVE THE SLAVE

Dave, everyone thought him slow

And, because at school his grades were low

Teachers gave him extra work

But when it came to jobs outside of school

Dave bent his back and sweated hard

Doing the crap no one wanted to

Became a target for the high school jerk

But Dave was a thinker, strong and kind

Taking all those rotten jobs, he never had a care.

At fifteen Dave left school, failed without a pass

But Dave had a plan to outdo his peers

All those jobs others just would not do

For a price he’d clean a drain, or pick-up shit

Some old red paint, and flattened tin, he made a sign

That read:

‘Dirty, smelly jobs, not for you?’

Give Dave a call and I’ll make them mine’

And below number painted in bright red,

Free to call of course, is what it said.

At first the townsfolk thought him a joke

Called him Dave the Slave

When his name they used

But that was always part of young Dave’s plan

Cleaning gutters, raking leaves,

There wasn’t a thing he wouldn't do.

Gave the pubs a miss when his day was done

No-one he had to sit and yarn

With this drop-out kid from a busted home, on the edge of town

After counting his cash by lantern light

Dave stashed it down tight in an old milk can

And while the town was having fun

It was Dave the Slave who counted his cash

HIs twenty first, no birthday bash

For Dave’d be cleaning the toilets at the local hall

No invitations ever came his way

For weddings, church outings, birthday parties, or such

So, unseen but watching Dave cleaned it all

A life’s ambition had been to save

And now a master stroke he played

That horrid name, no longer was a joke

Our man Dave now changed his brand.

And Dave the Slave, he franchised out

His company’s growth it didn’t stop.

He bought pavilions, generators and polished floors

Now rented out to those who'd teased

He took their cash and walked away

He bought a block on the side of town

Built a strip of shops and factories too

Fast Food joints along the highway faced

And soon the shopping strip was full

A Hardware chain called and asked him

To build

A warehouse large for them to fill

Dave’s wealth and influence continued to grow

No more the small town laughing stock

Dave bought the farm one of his bullies lost to the bank

Only contempt he had for Dave

With little left that the family owned strapped to their truck

In desperation, the bully’s wife gave Dave a call

So with fading light and choking tears

Between them both they worked out a plan

She'd keep the house where she’d raised their kids

Her husband still would work his family land

New machinery from Dave now filled the sheds

The bully, his attitude had changed

And the sense of privilege that he once knew

Had disappeared like morning rain

They struggled hard his wife and him

Until they saved enough to buy

That same land his forebears had worked for years

His lesson learned; his pompous nature gone

A better man now like a chrysalis emerged

No longer propping up the bar when there was seeding to be done

The farm a show piece for all to see

He’d tell his admiring friends when they came to stay

None of this is because of me

It was Dave the Slave, who set me free.