The growing Beast of the South

The growing Beast of the South,
is sucking energy
from everyone and everywhere.
Its beating heart
pumps blood into its vital organs
but cannot reach its outer limbs.

A long cliff edge up north
points in awe at the sun-drenched
folk in the south. On both sides
there is affluence, the link: people
on their keyboards tapping away
across the divide, advertising
the future in high-rise hotels,
wharfside apartments, flashy arcades
where take away cappuccino cups
replace fish and chip cones.

Still the north is struggling,
depression wafting though
shopping centres, brightly opened
but soon throwing shadows
over the back streets where
wheeler dealers are scheming abuse.
Lives are lived on borrow and spent time.
A story of a widening gap,
of brain and brawn drain
tells of the beast's greed
devouring the talented and skilful,
leaving the north a deserted land
a hospice for the old and infirm,
a community centre for the unemployed.

Once upon a time
the Beast took booty from the north,
now it feeds on its debt.