She tells a group of
Receptive listeners
That the poor are that way
Because they are lazy
And subhuman, though she
Doesn’t quite word it
That way, it would
Far too clearly
Reveal her prejudice and
Shocking lack of empathy.
I will forever fail to see
Why it’s a good idea for a
Civilized society to
Starve children,
Teach them some kind of
Exceedingly cruel and
Unnecessary lesson about
So-called personal responsibility
When their plight is
No fault of their own and
The deck is already so stacked
Against them that they
Realistically have very
Little chance of making it,
Even with superhuman initiative,
No matter what the louses
Condemning them to poverty say.
He has no interest in
Why we hurt each other
Because that would mean
Having to relive the
Terrifying memories that
Take up so much space
Inside him and never
Permit a moment’s peace.
He’s chosen instead to
Project his pain onto
Others, to make them the
Object of his fear and
Brokenness, subdue them
So he might feel a moment’s
Respite from the turmoil,
Instead of getting help and
Learning how to love again.
The stores that
Used to be frequented
By the middle class
Are dying at the
Same time malls close
For lack of visitors.
The luxury emporiums
Thrive as do the
Discount retailers,
Little in-between.
The clash between those
Who see the world solely
As an object to defile and
Pillage for personal gain
And people who understand
That we’re all on this
Fragile planet together and
That we flourish when we
Take care of one another.
Corporations don’t care
A whit about people,
All their energy focused on
Generating as much profit
As possible regardless of
How many are damaged,
Ripped off, cheated,
Hoodwinked by the small print,
Denied crucial recourse,
Underpaid in sweatshops.
I’m sure they would vigorously
Defend themselves with
The standard drivel about
How they’re the engine that
Drives free societies, or
How they give a few dollars
Here and there to some cause,
The same stale excuses
Pronounced with oily sincerity
While they find new ways
To squeeze another dollar
Out of human beings.
I guess some people
Think it’s okay
To shame a child for
Not having money to
Pay for food,
A particularly
Reprehensible
Form of cruelty that
Never leads to
Anything but
Suffering.
This is how
Societies die.
I’m not sure I fully
Understand why certain
People feel compelled to
Force their beliefs on others,
Insisting their way of
Looking at the world is best,
Censoring other perspectives,
Imposing curfew on divergent
Ideas that don’t fit
Their narrow outlook,
Forcing human beings into
Confining boxes,
Deeply uncomfortable with
Ambiguity and uncertainty,
Condemning anyone who isn’t
Like them, immersed in
Fear and judgment,
Even though it doesn’t
Have to be this way.
If you look underneath
The false premises and
Sleazy justifications,
You’ll find the conventional
Obsession with putting
Women down because it
Makes small men feel more
Important, far easier
To step on someone than to
Share the world with them or
Go against your father who
Taught you insecurity and the
Fear of being exposed.
