What Have They Done To My Country?

An attempt at something a bit more grown up. This is a poem about austerity in Ireland. The tiger mentioned below is a reference to the economic boom in the 90's called the Celtic Tiger.

 

What have they done to my country?

The place of my ancestral roots.

Where once she was proud she's now feeble and cowed

By the faceless grey men in their suits.

These allies once jealously guarded

The fruits of their ill-gotten gain.

But these blackguards and thieves now say Roll up your sleeves.

Take your share of society's pain.

They gambled away all our futures

Just to play the unwinnable game.

But the house of cards fell on their cosy cartel

Yet they say we share equal the blame.

But most of us didn't spend wildly,

Or live in excess of our means.

Yet still we're not able to put food on the table,

And we've holes in the arse of our jeans.

While the others who killed off the Tiger,

By the laying of farcical bets,

Still have plenty of bread and sleep sound in their bed

As the rest of us pay off their debts. 

But it's all for the good of the country!

And although on some level that's true

Is it fair that the penny of the innocent many

Should pay for the sins of the few?

What have they done to my country?

Her children lay battered and bruised.

They are weakened and frail and they're all up for sale.

No reasonable offer refused. 

Reviews

[Beccy]

Sharks in suits; the deadliest predators of all; enough has never been enough for them and it never will be.

The odious Mr Sean Quinn sprang to mind as I read this.

Beccy.

[Chris]

You aren't alone... The destroyers were out in force and the world is still paying off their greed. Real money goes somewhere - it isn't lost and if the rest was all made up - then who did the making?

[Dr. Wood ?]

well you grew up pretty fast with this one Baz...Great rhythm and rhyme, as usual..and a powerful message

[Baz]

Thanks for reading and the comment. A bit of a departure from my normal writing. Must get back to writing about teddy bears and fairies soon before I depress myself! :-)

[Dr. Wood ?]

Or terrorist teddies and fairies...

[fwvalidus]

I like this poem and I am pretty sure I understand exactly what you are talking about. I think you assign blame to the 'suits' (which I assume means business men, bankers, etc.) when I personally believe the fault lies with government. Maybe you could add in a stanza about the leaders and their motivations which lead them astray from the good of the country. The true good I mean.

[Baz]

Thanks for the read and the comment. Much appreciated. The men in the suits is everyone that contributed, including the politicians, property developers, and bankers. All of whom contributed in no small part to Ireland's current woes.