what trickles down is not their tax breaks
is not charity or compassion
what dribbles rather their self importance
hunger for power dispassion
what trickles down is not investment is not
wealth or higher spending
what oozes rather is their gluttony vanity
and planned meddling
what trickles down are not more jobs are not
higher wages or social security
what flows rather are attacks on speech over
reach and obscurity
what trickles down is not healthcare is not
welfare or opportunity
what leaks rather are their lies transgressions
and impunity
what trickles down is not a future is not progress
or positive growth
what percolates rather their narcissism and
hypocritical oaths
what trickles down is not good faith are not
grand ideas or democracy
what slithers drips seeps and bleeds conspicuous
autocracy
Rémy Dambron is an English instructor and lyricist from San Diego, California. His work focuses on denouncing political corruption, advocating for the environment, and promoting social justice. He has been published by Poets Reading the News, The Veggie Wagon Journal, and What Rough Beast. This poem was written in response to recent reports that dozens of multi-million and multi-billion-dollar corporations (like Amazon) paid zero dollars in taxes last fiscal year.