For nothing

R.D. Boucher
2 min readDec 7, 2022
The UAW Unfair Labor Practice Strike, November 2022, UCSC

Bohemia is coming your way

She doesn’t have to act to stay

The temple is calling today,

“Remain with yourself,” it says

She doesn’t have to pretend to care

when we all fade into the background

forget you put your life on hold for nothing

and breathe out.

A new world is coming your way

that you don’t know how to navigate

“things will never be the same,” they say,

“if you don’t walk your own pace”

She doesn’t have to pretend to care

when we all fade into the background

forget you put your life on hold for nothing

and breathe out.

then you can stand up

say what’s on your mind

it doesn’t matter if this bridge stands

or burns over time,

you have every right

to fight for your life

this world is unforgiving with your time

levels of authority disillusioned,

and detached from why we fight

for better pay and to have contracts

that align with workers’ rights

So, let’s stand up

Let’s say what’s on our minds

Who cares if this bridge stands,

or burns over time

There’s no progress

if we keep this institution alive

We have every right

to fight for our lives

We have every right

to live as we like

We have every right

to be paid so we can survive

She won’t have to pretend to care

as we all stand strong

forget you put your life on hold

for nothing,

because we are banding together to fight

for something,

and we can breathe out

we can breathe out.

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R.D. Boucher

Dami grew up in Hillside, NJ and attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She is currently working on her PhD in Santa Cruz, CA.