Molestation of an Institution

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they sold us a dream
wrapped in stars and stripes,
told us we were free,
told us we were strong,
told us we were the light –
a shining city on a hill
amid the darkness.

but I see the cracks now,
in the asphalt of our cities,
in the eyes of the homeless
veterans begging on the corners,
in the hollowed-out factories,
specters of industry,
where men once built
machines and hope.

they say it’s progress,
they say it’s the future,
but all I see is decay,
prettied up in the artificial glow
of screens that spout lies,
pushed by the state
huddled deep in the shadows –
pulling strings,
breaking backs,
crushing dreams.

the rich get richer,
the poor get poorer,
and the middle
gets forced to their knees,
desperate to feel something real,
something true,
something that doesn’t burn
like raw flesh…