I went to Wal-Mart
where the plastic’s always shiny. Software-
The brightly colored shrink-wrapped box
could compliment his rich gray laptop.
It’s the strangest thing —
Wal Mart in the morning —
all the people in their blue smocks,
the rows of red, white and blue
stacked shelves of Chinese plastic.
And they stood in blue smock circles
bowing to the short round man from corporate.
“Sales are up this month and with hard work
we can ensure our raises.”
The yellow faces smiling on the blue smocks
and everyone smiling in unison —
“Hi, Richard.” Richard from corporate is pleased
with their performance.
I went to Wal-Mart
to find a present for my brother.
I felt I should be getting paint and canvas,
brushes with points and fans, something
to encourage him, his strange sense
of light and space.
