Chasing The Dollar

it's our religion

the dollar brings
acceptance
status
respect
deference
awe
friends
popularity

we spend our lives
dreaming
what we would do with it
how to get it
how it would be

we never have enough
we pigeon hole who has it
don't waste time with those who don't

without it
we would be outcasts
from our milieu
we would be deemed failures

we would be alone
shamed
sentenced
to a world of conversation
with old ladies on buses

carrying designer knock off handbags
bought from the markets
resort to borrowing books from a library
buying from thrift shops
cooking home meals


the phone stops ringing
invitations cease
no one carries shopping to your car anymore
or trips over their feet to serve you
we have to learn what cash is
instead of signing for everything

we are supposed to be devastated
we are now deemed officially poor
not driving the "i'm doing well"
car
nor wearing the " look at me " rags

we are no longer able to afford the
how to be happy and let's practise smiling sessions
with the maharini bullshitterie
once a week

we finally learn to breathe
know the little personal freedom left to us
from our ever controlling big brother world
before being issued with the one time
invitation  from the suitor
who never accepts " no " for an answer
from anyone