The Irony of Sight

They couldn't see the safety net unraveling,
Voted to cut the very threads that held them,
Now insulin sits behind glass counters—
A luxury their principles can't afford.

First the warnings went unheeded,
Blood sugar climbing like the cost of care,
Vision blurring at the edges,
The same way facts did at the ballot box.

They said the market would provide,
That bootstraps cure all ailments,
But diabetic retinopathy doesn't negotiate
And darkness doesn't care about ideology.

The cruelest poetry is written in the body—
Those who were blind to consequence
Now face consequence of blindness,
Learning too late that some mistakes can't be unseen.

The irony tastes metallic, like a glucose test,
Sharp as the needles they can no longer buy,
While the wealthy debate freedom,
The poor count the days until the light dims.