The Takers Keep Taking

And the takers keep taking,

and the givers keep giving,

we’re told to show up when needed

just to prove we are living.

We give of our time,

we give of our pay,

we give what we can

and it slips away.

You can give ‘til it’s gone,

give ‘til it’s breaking,

still in the dark

the takers keep taking.

We give and we give,

through sorrow and strain,

but the takers keep taking

again and again.

[Verse 2[

There’s a trade in the trust

that we hand out in good faith,

and a system built up

from what people can take.

There are doors left unlocked

just to feel like we’re sharing,

while someone is counting

on no one still caring.

You can stand in the line

with your heart open wide,

and still find a hand

on the other side.

We give and we give,

through sorrow and strain,

but the takers keep taking

again and again.

What happened to promise,

to neighbor and name?

To the idea we were more

than just pieces in a game?

Now the streets feel quieter

but not from peace making—

it’s the sound of the hopeful

slowly mistaking

that silence for safety,

that calm for the right,

while the taking keeps working

out of sight in the night.

Still somebody’s out there

with nothing to spare,

still somebody’s giving

because someone still cares.

And maybe that’s all

that keeps us from breaking—

this stubborn old habit

of not just taking.

We give and we give,

through sorrow and strain,

but the takers keep taking

again and again.