The empathy budget

We must be honest, this year – society cannot
afford to give, we have to cut. Stick to our red lines.
Too many causes are begging for attention – also people, 
wanting time and support, are taking far too much,
distracting from our mission.
These abstract black holes of debt won’t vanish by themselves.
Many of us struggle in our way, does that mean all of us
must share?
So, I say this: we need a reset. 
Hard times call for some emotional austerity.
We should accept that fellow-feeling can be 
reduced, if not entirely scrapped.
From now on, emotions are going to be redistributed 
more fairly.
You can start by giving less and remember that 
compassion begins at home.
Let’s keep more of it for ourselves. Spend more thought
on what and who we know, stop shelling-out for others.
Benevolence is overrated and long overdue a slow-down,
in line with sound economic practice.
Want to give a little love to her or him?
You’ll have to take some back from them.
Withhold your affection, don’t waste it on the undeserving.
From now on, as a government, we’ll be treating empathy like butter:
it’s precious and expensive and must be spread quite thin.
Do please stop snivelling, all you faint-hearts over there,
do not forget – it’s actually a mercy to stop a bleeding heart. 
(ooh, are those sunglasses for me?)