Certain
Lives
Are
More
Expendable
According
To
An
Outdated
Color
Chart.
She lives with the
Husband she feels
She deserves and who
Treats her exactly
As she was treated
In her own family,
An object to be
Possessed,
Controlled,
Suppressed,
Made to be subservient
And cater to the needs of
Someone who believes
He deserves to be waited on
Because that’s what
He saw as a child.
They razed another
Section of the old town
To make way for the new
Towers that will house
People far better off
Than his family, which
Has lived there as long as
Anyone can remember.
Not a single question was
Asked or history considered,
An insatiable need for
Space imposes its will
On the former community of
Regular people working
Modest jobs to survive in
Their ancestral homes.
Lihua, can you
Help me with this?
Now! I said.
What’s gotten into you
This morning?
So slow.
Today is mopping and
Cleaning day,
Get the supplies.
I’m meeting my
Friends for lunch,
I’ll be back at 3:00.
I want everything
To be perfect,
Don’t make me look bad.
A condescending
Pat on the head
Is all he gets
For standing up for
Those who have nothing
And a system that
Routinely denies
Basic opportunity.
It’s just the way it is,
Platitudes regurgitated by
People who can’t envision
A world where
We take care of
One another and
Compassion is the norm.
Ignoring ignorance
And indifference,
Always moving forward
Toward a brighter day.
A few companies
Collude to limit the
Choices available to
Consumers, oligopoly.
The fixed, painful,
Exorbitant cost
Of everything,
Lack of competition.
A rigged game,
Every move benefiting
Corporate
Behemoths.
Flagrant muggings
Perpetrated by
Sleazy swindlers
In expensive suits.
Untethered behemoth
Brazenly throwing its
Weight around.
Cater to its every whim or
Be crushed under its
Remorseless might.
Flimsy shiny objects line
Endless aisles in a
Temple of rapaciousness.
Unhinged hunger for more,
Humans shredded shamelessly
Until nothing is left.
Working so hard
To make sure
A lot of people
Suffer, that the
Nation becomes a
Barren wasteland of
A privileged few
Holed up behind
Walls hoping the
Rabble won’t come
After them for
What they’ve done.
Put people down
Who have no power,
Afflict the afflicted,
Celebrate power differentials,
Relish submission,
Build forbidding structures
That keep people deferential,
Make fun of them
When they try to speak
Out against oppression,
Scream bigotry when people
Call you on yours,
Perpetuate the system,
Keep what’s yours.
