Bare and lonely lives

Bare and lonely lives
By Whittaker Chambers
Circa late 1920s, early 1930s

What do you make
Of our bare and lonely lives,
Working together
In the section gang, early and late,
In the heat of the day, in the warm spring weather?
You say: It is our fate that we must take.
But we say: “A grim fate
That sets you free,
And makes us slaves forever for your sake.
And one we should be able to unmake.
And will. Wait.” ¹