The East Enders
{forthcoming in MMM Vol. X.}
We were dumb about our stupidity,
broadcasting it, lime suspenders
Jacking up plaid polyester, calling
Card hucklebuck huckster dumbness.
We passed off flatulence for wit,
Bazooka Joe for wisdom,
Mastercard and VISA for security,
Lawn gnome for art,
Peroxide and mascara for beauty,
Crosswords for intellect,
Collection baskets for religion,
Light beer for discipline,
Mag wheels for status,
Stitches for respect,
Perfume for love,
T-bones for the good life.
We worked diligently at nothing
Anyone would remember or
Pay a decent wage for,
Proudly produced perishable goods,
Eagerly consumed generic or what
Could only be bought in bulk,
And openly mocked those fat-assed
Bigwigs who docked our pay and
Planned our daily obsolescence.
We wondered in earnest what dogs
Would say if they could talk,
Where doughnut holes went,
Who made God and the first catcher’s glove,
If the Incredible Hulk could whip Godzilla,
When exactly leisure suits went out of style,
Whether tomatoes were fruit or vegetable,
Why there was no number eleventy-leven.
Reflection for us was a split second
Revelation next to a nightclub urinal.
If we harmed anyone, it was ourselves
And we never felt a goddamned thing.