Absent Goods - edit

[dukealien]

Absent Goods


I used to wonder, hypothetically,
how it must be to live, a Communist,
or as a Russian proletarian
today, accustomed to the empty shelves
of stores where all was scarcity and dust.

Last week I found out from experience
of visiting my local grocery
where much was missing, racks nude, shelves unstocked
because of snow and ice:  trucks had not come.

I only found a little gourmet food
for proletarians had been there first
and bought the rest to feed their families
back home on frozen, white-encrusted streets.

original version;

I used to wonder, hypothetically,
how it must be to live, a Communist,
or as a Russian proletarian
today, accustomed to the empty shelves
of stores where all was scarcity and dust.

Last week I found out from experience
of visiting my local grocery
where much was missing, racks nude, shelves unstocked
because of snow and ice:  trucks had not come.

I had to buy expensive, gourmet cheese
for proletarians had got there first
and bought the budget stuff right to the walls.