Week 1: YDK vs. Ink \\ Ink wins 9-8

[Ink]

Cheap metal rattles the saddles of this mechanic beast
The wind unleashed
Crashed down on immigrants like they're a bathtub fleet
Unsettled speech, intertwines with seatbelt warnings
"Can I please have your attention, it's your Captain speaking
We will be landing shortly, though the weathers turned sour
Welcome to America, paved with minimum pay per hour"
The runway and tires fought like an old married couple
Jostling the cargo of aliens like ET bobbles
The screaming, the pushing, and the hiss of hot tears
The domestic violence was comforting to the pioneers
They had arrived
US Soil, where blood and toil
Will be met with, once curtailed, dreams uncoiled
He stepped out, prepared for many nights with midnight oils
With a fair wife, in any light, she'd make passions boil
Tugging their luggage, one suitcase and a carry-on dream
Showing the wear of forefathers that provided his seed

It didn't take long to get settled, a loan and shoe shop
Craftsmanship tip top, he had that stitch game on lock
The calligraphy of threaded needle, dance by firelight
Dreams require fight or flight, he channeled a fighters might
"The finest soles in LA, with impeccable leatherworking"
Word of mouth brought about a demand he couldn't meet
Backlogged, he slaved away, his wife entered the fray
Her pretty hands now calloused, as talks of children fade
Day by day, the orders came, he didn't turn any back
When he was young, business was tough, so he chased after the cash
Without a free moment to enjoy, they paid for it with time
One year, then decades, their chosen currency flew by
Every day, went through the motions, reading the same script
Living vs. surviving, thin line in a room dimly lit
Wrinkled skin stretched over iron, rusted feet in fresh shoes
Hear the gears creak, two machines with much to do