The Slave Auction Poem by Raj Dronamraju

Open your mouth and show us your teeth
And that's how she fell in love
Feel the body to see if it is solid
Inspect teeth like a rancher buying a horse
And that's how she knew the price of horseflesh

You are well aware of the value of horseflesh
Studies show the success of a pairing declines if the numbers of pairing before increases
You've been off the boat for awhile

It's not immediate
Your families will break up anyway
Not because we sell you off
Not because you're immediately off the boat

But because the bid you made was pathetic
They are the one percent of elite connoisseurs of horseflesh
They provide the groundswell of support for uncivil wars
The victors and the vanquished - the overthrow of scarcity and the priority of needs