Support your local shops

Walking down these hollow streets

Where shadows lengthen, and hope retreats

The corner shop, a memory now

Replaced by giants, taking a bow

Cafés, small shops, victims of the game

Our pleas for mercy, met with the same

Bigger, brighter, a false display

They profit from poverty, day by day

The bookstore shelves, once overflowing

Now Amazon's grip, relentlessly growing

Restaurants, markets, a vibrant scene

Erased by progress, cold and mean

Little shops replaced by chain store signs

And malls expand, with endless lines

The cozy café, where laughter rang

Now Starbucks reigns, with its corporate clang

The old bakery, a sweet, warm kiss

Replaced by a bank, sealing our bliss

Grandma's recipes, fading away

Another memory, gone astray

Remember the tailor, with needle and thread

Mending our lives, from foot to head

Now fast fashion's reign, a wasteful spree

Where quality's lost, for all to see

We crave more, and more, a hollow need

The closing shops, a silent bleed

Imported products, a tempting call

But environmental costs, engulf us all

Little shops replaced by chain store signs

And malls expand, with endless lines

The cozy café, where laughter rang

Now Starbucks reigns, with its corporate clang

Break free from the chains, the endless chase

Support your local shops, reclaim your space

Stop mass consumption, hear the call

Or watch our communities crumble and fall