Friday, April 28, 2017

TICKY-TACKY

Acceptance—is expensive.
Since it's tough to cultivate,

and even more difficult
to distribute—most people

can't afford it,
except maybe once

or twice a year. During
the holidays, maybe

they'll make a pilgrimage
to some

bleached and
tall suburban mall;

where they'll fight
for some precious, picked-over

bit of it—
which, half the time

gets smashed
to pieces

before they're done elbowing their
way out of that hell

and back home
to their own, more familiar version.

Resignation—however,
is cheap,

quick,
and everywhere. In every

neon heap
of a strip mall, next to every

groggy blue bus and
train station,

and on every
single street corner,

in every dismal
downtown neighborhood you

could imagine—seems like
there's always

some jumping little
hole in the wall going—where

that's all
they sell.