A social commentary

In the Human Zoo

A poem about today’s society

Photo by J. Young Jeong on Unsplash

Are We Really Free?

Most of us feel sorry for animals that are kept in captivity, in zoos and the like. We feel they should be free to roam the wild without a care…other than things like finding enough food for survival and avoiding predators.

We think that we as humans experience the ultimate freedom to make choices, do the things we enjoy, party, live the high life. But do you ever consider that in many ways we are just like those animals trapped in a zoo? Most of us need to work to put food on the table and a roof over our heads to protect us from the elements.

Many are tied to jobs they don’t like and work for much longer hours than they have to spend on recreation. We are tied down by bills, having to pay our rent or mortgages, for utilities like electricity, gas, and credit cards.

Cars and essential appliances often need replacing or repairs, and it is a constant cycle of needing to make money to support our lifestyle. That said, I put the question to you: “Are we really free, or are we just captives in the human zoo?”

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

In the Human Zoo

A good education will take you far, minimum wage, or the local bar.

9 to 5 or graveyard shift, do you really get the drift?

A fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. But the CEOs get all the perks.

Pay your taxes, don’t complain. If you don’t save it’s down the drain.

Prices rise of food and fuel. Governments treat us like we’re fools.

Ignore the homeless, they’re a blight. Move them on out of sight.

The rich get richer, the poor get less. Wealth distribution is a mess.

Do you own a home, or does the bank own you? You’re just one animal in the human zoo.

© John Hansen: All rights reserved. Australian writer

Photo by LSE Library on Unsplash

Income Disparity in the United Kingdom

Inequality in household incomes in the UK has remained at a roughly similar level since the early 1990s but is higher than during the 1960s and 1970s. While the share of income going to the top 1% of individuals by household income increased during the 1990s and 2000s, there was some reduction in inequality among the rest of the population (based on incomes before housing costs), with the result that inequality overall was fairly stable during this period. (source: House of Commons Library 2025)

Income Disparity in the United States

Income disparity in the United States has been a persistent issue, with the richest 1% of households having accumulated almost 1,000 times as much wealth as the poorest 20% over the last three and a half decades. The wealth of the 10 richest U.S. billionaires soared by $698 billion in the past year alone, indicating a record-high share of total wealth held by the top+ 0.1%. (source: US Census Bureau 2025)

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