The City of Illusion ~ a Poem With a Message

It seems that in this fast-paced dog-eat-dog world that appearances are everything. From the clothes that you wear, the watch on your wrist, and the name you call your job. It is all geared at making an impression, and trying to compete with or outdo everyone else.

A thriving city with its bright lights and tall buildings, and fancy cars puts on an impressive show, but all is not as it seems, and the less desirable aspects of squalor, homelessness, and crime are often hidden from view, but lurk just below the surface.

Nothing is the way it seems

In this City of Illusion.

What you see is just a ruse

The cause of mass confusion.

Wealth and affluence on show

But darkness lurks beneath,

Poverty's the secret plague,

The city's hidden grief.

The tallest buildings in the world,

The streets are paved with gold,

But homeless huddle in the dark,

Shivering from the cold.

Celebrities and movie stars

Walk the carpet red,

While families on the basic wage

Have trouble staying fed.

Killings happen every day,

People fear intrusion.

Accepted as the social norm

In the City of Exclusion.

Casinos, restaurants and bars

Tempt wealthy clientele,

While charities and soup kitchens

Have a truer tale to tell.

Signs light up the cityscape,

Versacé, Rolex, and Nike,

Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari,

All things the elite like.

But many can't afford a car,

A house to own or rent.

Park benches often act as beds,

And money's quickly spent.

Crime, corruption, power and greed

Control the flow of wealth.

Record profits are the goal

Not equality and health.

The time will come when poor men rise,

Rebel against exclusion.

United they will overthrow

The City of Delusion.