It is a time of splendor
of wealth and grandeur
Though it is only a thin layer of gold
Underneath lies the truth, grimy and cold
The 1920’s, which some may call roaring,
where social unrest and poverty is soaring
People flock to the movies and speakeasies
to hide from the crooked political machines
It is a time of great change for those long oppressed
Gone is the Gibson Girl with her long dress
Instead, it is short along with her hair
and her cigarette smoke now fills the air
Music and literature flourishes in Harlem
Creativity and intellect emerge from the slums
from a race considered second-class for generations
The Red Scare rages across the nation
implanting paranoia from neighbor to neighbor
the world turns grey and somber
Technology produces innovations galore
from washing machines and Models T’s to even more
Life is made easier and more uniformed
as everything you need is found at the nearest store
Go down a few more blocks and you’ll find another
These chain stores rarely alter
Everyone is fine with the growing mass culture
that circles around this nation like a vulture
promising convenience at the price of individuality
But the soldiers who have returned from the worst of humanity
have seen through this veil
The only roaring is their wail