I Once Was a Child

I once was a child am a child am someone's child not my mother's not my father's the boss gave us special treatment treatment for something special a lollipop or a sticker glitter from the toy box the better we did the better the plastic prize made in China one year everyone got a spinning top one year everyone got a tap on their shoulders one year everyone was fired everyone fired but me one year we all lost our words one year my father lost his words to a stroke a stroke of bad luck stuck his words used to be so worldly his words fired him let him go without notice can they do that can she do that yes she can in this land she can once we sang songs around a piano this land is your land this land is my land in this land someone always owns the land in this land someone who owns the land owns the buildings on the land owns the people in the buildings unless an earthquake sucks the land in like a long noodle