Voices of the Gilded Age #1230

Voices of the Gilded Age In the shadow of a fractured age, Where privilege builds its gilded cage, The contemporary era casts its glow, Neo-feudal roots begin to show. The elite hold sway, with wealth entwined, Twenty percent of humankind, Ninety-three percent of treasures claim, Reshaping justice in their name. In halls of power, their whispers wind, Crafting laws that are their kind, To guard the gold their coffers crave, And quell the small who dare be brave. Corporations weave their thread, In contracts where the gains are fed, Penalties, mere paper fines, To shield the power that underlines. Two tiers now divide the law, Where consequence reveals its flaw, Lenience wraps the wealthy bright, While harshness holds the common tight. The system bears a bitter twist, Where fairness seems to not exist, And justice bows to rule of few, A modern feudal lord's debut. In fields where money births more gold, A dwindling hope, for most, unfolds, Democracy's ideals cast in shade, As rising inequity invades. Yet in the cracks, a whisper grows, The seeds of change where fairness sows, For even walls built high will fall, When voices rise, and justice calls. Written by Steven G. Lee (May 8, 2024)