nation, stripped

“Circuit City, once a bellwether American retailer, is going out of business for good, stripping the nation of its second-largest consumer electronics chain.” — NYT

O how the nation is stripped,
That once possessed a bellwether.

The timely agreement was longed for,
But was not achieved.

No timely agreement, but instead disappointment;
And the only path remaining is liquidation.

O how the nation is stripped,
That once possessed a bellwether.