We are vultures clawing through what remains
when retail dreams die.  We do not stop
to consider where these folks will shop
when everything is gone to the bare walls.
We do not savor our bargains, we dig for more
and more until hangers litter the floor
like bones picked clean.  We do not speak
of war, of oil, or wounded economies.
We do not smile at cashiers whose fear
can be measured in final markdowns.