walking through malls
smelling marketing
target frustration
gimme this I want that
there’s an ATM on every corner
easy to get sucked in
marketing knows the weakness
it is marketing after all
makes me wonder
why is it that that piece won’t hang on me
like the mannequin
like the sixteen year old in hip hugging
belly showing style
and my objective is coffee
the isle of bean cuisine
manned by pretty smile girls
mocha master teens
tipping tip jars with toothy grins
smooth skin leave room for cream
and she pours my java
o I’ll put it off to this side, the pickup counter
you have to come
around
and I smile thinking about Christmas
and how this year
this year is different
this year the mall holds no power
no attraction none except of course
the coffee
the isle of bean cuisine
leave the rest, the clothes the shoes
the hawking cell phone vendors
just leave me room for cream
for an old fashion
thought that counts Christmas
this way
the mannequins can’t mock me
and the teens are just babies playing grownup
and my old cell is fine thank you
and the clicking of my boots
as I exit for a smoke
remind me I really can get my coffee
elsewhere