Gilded Shadow

For every Mercedes on the road, a
Whimpering waif an empty belly holds;

For every Patek that clasps a
Wrist, a Gazan widow weeps in mist;

For every ostentatious mansion,
A veteran sleeps in doleful stations;

For every Kate Middleton dress, dreams
Are thrown unto the lion’s nest. And for

Every diamond born of pathos, an
American dies in night and chaos; with

Every Dior that goads interregnum,
A maid is ravaged in the shoals of

Bedlam; for every Dolce & Gabbana
Corset, a shattered soul dies

In torment; and for every foot in Prada
Shod, a broken man swings from a

Lonely rod. The ancient chalice that
Groans on windswept rains, the

Cannibal howling, skies evanescing
Beyond the inexorable thunder

David Penner’s articles on politics and health care have appeared in Dissident Voice, CounterPunch, Global Research, The Saker blog, OffGuardian and KevinMD; while his poetry can be found at Dissident Voice, Mad in America, and redtailedhawk.substack.com. Also a photographer, he is the author of three books of portraiture: Faces of The New Economy, Faces of Manhattan Island, and Manhattan Pairs. He can be reached at 321davidadam@gmail.com. Read other articles by David.