consumerism

Consumerism

A pair of trousers and a yellow silk scarf,
I had the sales lady’s attention, a full frontal
smile she gave and wished me a nice day.
This shopping street, we are all middleclass
the matted hair people, who begged here, and
made us feel ill at ease, have been exiled,
live behind the gasworks, where nice people
descends, every noel, to hand out blankets,
yesterdays cakes and plastic sheets for when it
rains. We are consumers, all of us, even India,
now so prosperous, has chased beggars out of
New Delhi, shiny office blocks and rags do not
mix. Tomorrow I’ll buy a pair of brown shoes
so I can fell worthy and respected again.