The great city of Dubai
The land of the wealthy
Where great buildings tower over the sky
Gold and silver hues outline the city
Sparkling fountains that outshine Vegas
A vast desert oasis
The Nouveau riche flock like birds to this marvelous sight
An architect’s dream.
I sit at the top overlooking the empire-like city
The stench of wealth in the air
So many places to see that I don’t know where to start.
“You must visit the Mosque” they say
“Oh, don’t forget about the deep dive, or the sky views or …”
The list never ends
The beauty is everywhere
The expensive cars, luxury malls, five-star hotels
One can’t help but wonder
Who created this city?
Down the streets I walk
Away from the city and sights
To see the roads less traveled by
And in there lies the truth
The people who uphold the city
For every marvel and sight once had someone build it
And many don’t realize the hidden truth
One is only wealthy when the rest are poor
It is down the hidden streets where the beauty begins to fade.
Workers upon workers who day by day look more like slaves
Twelve-hour shifts needed to be worked day in and day out
Only to go to sleep on dirty cots in a room with ten others.
Large fees and little pay only to be sent to distant family
The gold and silver city becomes stained by blood
Too many workers drawn to the promise of pay
Until the betrayal is revealed but by then it’s too late
Passports taken, no way to escape
So here they must lie until they die
Or commit suicide