IKEA couch calls
to tired legs
the checkout line
moves forward without me
shoulder sloped from
the iconic blue bag
stuffed with:
chocolate
candles
linens
under-bed storage bags for excess winter quilts
lingonberry jam
useful things. wanted things. needed things?
of course not
so little is
the tug,
often a turbulent mental undertow,
of wanting MORE
so few resist to any discernible degree
certainly not me
certainly not today
a tv on the wall speaks in a newsreel loop
urges sustainability:
dwindling resources
unsustainable consumption
rapid climate change
admonishes soothingly:
…all play our part. A world without waste.
this message echoes off warehouse walls
boxes shelved to the ceiling
shipped by boat then by rail then by truck
just so I can have a taste of Sweden
does IKEA want me to join the checkout line or
return all my certainly "not needed” items made from dwindling resources
and do my part to save the planet
I am confused.
I am amused.
as a self-conscious consumer in an economy-driven world,
I have not yet lost my recognition for the ridiculous