Cloaked As Someone's Philanthropist Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

'Where are your 'things'? '

My 'things'?
I didn't need them.
I gave them away!

'WHHHHAAAATTT! ?
Are you crazed?
What are my friends and neighbors going to say?
What lives are we going to live without those 'things'?
You've ruined my pretentions.
And succeeded in my defeat.
I can no longer flaunt my superficiality!
Why did you do this?
Aren't you feeling just a wee bit dazed? '

Not at all!
From now on I am going to be 'me'!

'AND...
Where will that leave me to be? '

Exposed as the leech you are.
Once cloaked as someone's 'philanthropist'.
To no benefit to the masquerading,
That now has to cease to exist!

'WHHHHAAAATTT! ?
Are you crazed?
What are my friends and neighbors going to say? '

I have no idea.
Why don't you ask?
Most of them I passed...
Standing in line at the soup kitchen!