The Tower
Above the river
Overlooking the landscape
High above the teeming masses
Of the city
Alone in the Tower
Isolated from the underlings
Sits The Ruler
In his golden throne
Purchased with blood
Through bribes, threats, and theft
Billionaire Man
Strong superhero
The idol of millions
The friend of none
He sits alone
--
We all look up at the Tower
Knowing we will never reach the top
As we toil in our daily slavery
For that fiend high above
We have only seen photos
But never crossed paths
With the Enemy
Of the People
We will never know chairs
Let alone thrones
As we lie on the concrete
In the rubble-filled city
Full of holes for the hiding
Ragged old tents
Cardboard boxes for homes
And bedsheets of newspaper
--
The Tower, no access
But for the billionaire’s sake
He had best not descend
For he’ll be torn limb from limb
If he has no security
No protection
He will stand out like a diamond
In a field of black coal
He will be a target
For the most desperate
Stuck firm in the Tower
In a room filled with gold
The high point in the city
Corporate headquarters
The penthouse suite
A prison cell earned
Through years of abuse
Of the People
--
Every city remaining will have a Tower
Empty floors reaching to the sky
But the top one not empty
Containing its prisoner
Billionaire in worthless currency
That no one will value
Just paper, countless paper
No one else has
Our currency is food
Our worth is one another
As we salvage our lives
From the ruin caused by the Towers
May we be rid of the billionaires.