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.
