a toast

“a toast”

A toast, to the tall buildings downtown

The fortresses that hide the moneymakers and the harlots, and the hens that peck on the ground – gobbling up the specks

The powerful, the smart, the collected and stoic and cool

The buttoned down

The representatives of the perfect portion; the exact center of the road in their even toned speech and calculated decision making

And their protégés – the frantic, the hurried, the emotional

Learning to apply statistical Novocain and become collected, stoic, cool buttoned down, and middle of the road

A toast to the machines that they build; the worlds they create - that cycle currency only to recycle it back into their own pockets

The machines that find a way to tax the poor and add up fractions of a penny on the subjects of welfare and tally those fractions up into hundreds and thousands and eventually millions of dollars

The machines that tell us what to want, and what to believe, and what to see of the outcome on the news and what to read and what to believe about what we see and read

And what to buy

And what to wear

And where to live and how to live, and under what conditions are the best to live

And how following “the plan” is the only resolution anyone should make because the tide is far too strong to swim the other way

The grain is far too deep

The power of sharp suits and soft leather, and low led lights and memberships to the exclusive clubs is too alluring to resist

It’s a game that’s rigged

The floor plan was already created with a set occupancy – but they market it under soft conditions; shine moonlight on it to make it romantic

Take pictures of it and document testimonials so that everyone thinks that they have a chance

So more and more invest in their system and make contributions and ask for help from Monster’s resume builder because I have GOT to get into that 25^th floor office that overlooks the river!

So I can see the bums under the bridge – like little roaches on their backs kicking their legs, hoping just to flip over

So I can watch the blue collar workers on their way to second shift at the shit factory off of 95

Make sure that flame keeps burning; miss 11.95 an hour because my private bathroom is going to produce quite a major contribution to your profession today

I had lunch at Tobacco Company, and duck confit always cleans me out

Their callous approach keeps truth confined to private interpretation

Their fear generates pride that generates more fear that generates a sanctimonious glancing downward at all others below their station

That generates the approach – “This is the REAL world we live in.  You need the KILLER INSTINCT!”

A toast to the killer instinct!

To the decimal points and the successes of projects and minor contributions to charities for public approval

You’re welcome, Angel Tree

BTW – Thanks for the falsely inflate tax break

You don’t tell your accountant, and we won’t tell ours – K?

And more and more of the champions and warriors like us, have acquiesced to their mechanism

Out of fear, pressure, need, want and desire

Because we had kids or want a new cell phone or need or want and have desire

Hooks in and they’re pulling like a team of jocks yanking the nerds into the mud in the ultimate tug of war

I, the consumer – am ashamed at the level to which I consume

But it seems like that last block in the life sized game of Jenga – if I pull the wrong piece will it all come collapsing down on my head?

And if it does?  Then what?

And if I don’t?  then what?

So I talk about it, still too afraid to be about it

And the machine and it’s sounds and lights seem more beautiful and alluring each day

And my paycheck goes in on time

And my family’s needs are all met and then some

And I can go out to eat

And cook out behind my house on the newly finished deck

And toss a raft into the pool and watch it drift back and forth in the artificial current

And pick my Dockers and Michael Kor’s button-ups from the cleaners every Tuesday night

And buy the $9 a jar spaghetti sauce, and blocks of artisan cheese instead of that pre-packaged shit

And look at me – I’m a normal guy, just the same as you