The Nation That Sold Its Soul - Poem

At first came the machines
They promised leisure and ease
But who could take time
To rest and recline
Where there's money for greed to seize?

So people worked
And community died
Birthing loneliness
That heartwrenching hole
But never to fear
For profits live here
In the land
That sold its soul.

For when community dies
The need does arise
To soothe tired eyes
Hark! They doth advertise
The balm for the heart
Of folks torn apart
Can be found at the mart
So go fill your cart.

Each new ailment
And hole in the heart
Was an opportunity
For the cunning and smart.
After all
Despair
Hopelessness
and loneliness
Are all exploitable
By business.

And so a nation
Sells its soul
A piece at a time
Bit by bit
Forcefed misery
And promised a cure
If only you'll pay
Your tormenter.

Monetize everything:
Childrearing.
Love.
Friendship.
Passion.
Service.
Care.
If it isn't traded for money
Is its worth even there?
In the nation
That has sold
Its soul.

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