with apologies to WH Auden

With apologies to W.H. Auden

(for W.H. Auden)

tomorrow for the grueling work to begin, the rebuilding of trust, the sweat and the toil

tomorrow for reflection, the search for a new beginning, the hard tasks that lie in wait

tomorrow for the farmers to till the land, for the teachers to share free knowledge to all

tomorrow for the effort, to strive to build a new nation, to shake off the weight and the burdens of the past

tomorrow for all of that…

but today

today, the gleeful, joyous, teary-eyed celebration of freedom…

business as usual?

business as usual?

the word itself reeks

“business”

it reeks of sweat

blood
tears
misery

“business”

haggling over souls

bargaining over consciences

selling buying

anything
anyone

“business”

the fangs of empire gnaw

the talons of capital lash

perennially

for that four-letter word

“cash”