Gatherers out of Eden

Your line breaks and pacing mimic accumulation itself, especially in the staggered “More / Than / The / Year / Before,” which visually enacts the poem’s critique.

Billionaires should not exist. Amen! We live in a 2nd Age of Robber Barons. We need a Revolution. But there is hope to be found in younger people sick of old white guys ruling like kings. Best Social Commentary poetry I've read in quite a while. ⚡️💙Bill ⚡️

That is a powerful and thought-provoking poem, Sam! I really appreciate the way you link the ancient metaphor of Eden with the modern critique of consumerism and wealth disparity. It's a truly encouraging call to action leading up to Buy Nothing Day. I am on strike until after Christmas, I am not buying anything from these huge greedy corporate companies.

🩷❤️💜🩵

An amazing piece for sure. I was just having this Convo with my husband. I said I wanted to know who the first person was that made a toy in the likeness of whatever character. Because this is partly their fault. People have kids that obsess over some certain thing, paw patrol, frozen, my little pony... Whatever it is. Now they want toys and room decor of that thing. They want to dress like that for Halloween. And if you replicate it with your own hands- you can be sued for copyright infringement. Now... I am fully aware we can tell our kids no. But alot of parents don't buy their kids teddy bears and puzzles and handmade scarves for Christmas anymore. They buy them my size barbie. Disney cars hot wheels. Super Mario Legos. Putting millions of dollars into wealthy corporations. I myself AM a small business and everyone is always shocked when they ask how much I make doing what I do .. I hardly make anything. And the requests I get? Are for things I'm no longer allowed to make. I was replicating horror characters into dolls... And I was great at it. A friend wanted to buy one so I started selling them.. I was making $70 per doll. Cheaper than any on the hand made market and not to toot my own horn... But yes, they were amazing. I put so much detail into them. Every doll I had listed for sale was taken down for copyright infringement. If I list those items again, I could have my account banned or have legal action pursued against me. Sorry for that side quest lol... But it's things like that that make it hard for some families to buy local. Kids specifically want mass produced toys by Disney etc... and most parents do not want to disappoint their kids. I am teaching mine to make gifts and I do the same ☺️ we do buy other stuff but I'm enjoying teaching them to be resourceful and creative! I'm sick of billionaires. Always preaching about how WE need to save the planet. While they fly around the world in private jets 😔

Buy Nothing Day - I'm in!

Excellent piece. It is especially interesting that Governments use economic sanctions as punishment and to attempt to correct "bad behavior." But any time people go out and do it to them or big businesses, they want to act like it is A pointless, or B anti-American NOPE. Money is the only language those people understand; they literally made it count as having a voice, in the American political system at least.

Preach it, Sam. Buy local!

I never shop on Black Friday and stop doing that on Cyber Mondays years ago. There’s little we can do on a regular basis to avoid enriching the uber-rich but this is definitely something we can do.

Great concept in theory, but people ae already spoilt in thinking that if its more expensive its better. I hope you get some takers, I am def one of them...thrift and smartness keeps money in your pocket.

Preachhhhhh! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

Authors note: if you’re going to engage in the National blackout and buy nothing day, it’s important to note that the goal is to cut that support to profit-mad corporations— not simply to move it to a different day. If you must purchase essentials try to buy from local businesses rather than National chains. Try to do the same when you’re shopping for gifts for loved ones. I know it’s next to impossible to be an ethical consumer, almost everything we consume harms the environment or low wage workers in some way or another. I also know shopping local is a luxury at times, if you have to make a big purchase and can’t afford to shell out the extra cash for a local business, its understandable that not everybody can shift all of their purchases away from reliance on National chains. But don’t let that stop you from making whatever impact you can! Black Friday is historically the most profitable day of the year for the corporate elite, and they do NOT pass those profits back to their laborers. In other words Black Friday is one of the worst calendar days in the entire year when it comes to the transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. It mean be daunting trying to organize your spending around the idea of resistance, but every dollar you pull away from the pockets of a billionaire is an investment in your own life, well-being, and community! Good Luck— and wishing everybody safe and pleasant holidays with as little wealth transfer as possible :)