The American Bubble

“Thus did a handful of rapacious citizens come to control all that was worth controlling in America. Thus was the savage and stupid and entirely inappropriate and unnecessary and humorless American class system created. Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens were classed as bloodsuckers, if they asked to be paid a living wage. And they saw that praise was reserved henceforth for those who devised means of getting paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been passed. Thus the American dream turned belly up, turned green, bobbed to the scummy surface of cupidity unlimited, filled with gas, went bang in the noonday sun.”
― Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

 

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Original Photograph by the author

 

 

White Christmas

The old tramp was almost charming in the snow
leaning on the bins behind Click and Let’s Go.

Last minute shoppers admired her elegant pose,
face upturned to the stars like a Millais portrait;

the frosted lashes, the blue tint to her complexion,
the frozen teardrop on her cheek. A coating of ice

like cling film on a cut-price turkey, smoothed
the bitter lines around her eyes, glistening

in Sue’s headlights. Look, a white lady! she cried
as she snapped a cool shot for Twitter.

 

Note:-  According to the homeless charity Crisis, more than 9,000 people will be sleeping rough over Christmas in the UK this year.  The numbers are expected to rise by a further 47% in the next decade.

 

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Original photograph created by the author