They Watch Each Other's Back

they watch each other's back because
they never know when they might be  held accountable
and need some sort of excuse, some ally for whom
they can return the favor later.
loyalty is key, rather than workmanship or
competence, they will watch each other's back
because the customers prefer reliability not
loyalty.
they only watch a select group of each other's back,
the rest they stab in unison in protest,
how dare we change the system leaving them
tangled in their dirty sheets, let them
lie in the bed they made for
themselves.
we will not join them.