The state has assumed full control of my life,
despite all my better intentions.
They monitor me through computers, you see,
and other more subtle inventions.
The cable t.v. is looking at me,
it’s one of their obvious tricks.
Whatever I do they invariably see.
I feel somewhat like number six.
Technology’s praised as the future’s new wave.
I actually buy their devices.
The ultimate goal being total control
at totally outrageous prices.
She takes her picture once a week
in that old photo booth.
She once fell down outside of Sears
and chipped a baby tooth.
She buys her jeans and magazines
and cigarettes all there.
At CVS she buys a gel
to colorize her hair.
One time she stretched out
on a bench for a two-hour nap.
And she admits to shoplifting
an item from The Gap.
The courteous mallflower
spends every waking hour
avoiding time at home
inside that shopping dome.
And once school’s at an end,
she often tells her friend,
she’ll still be in the mob there,
’cause she’ll just get a job there.
