This mall has carpet.
Not a rug for sale,
at a store next to the Dilliard’s
No, literal carpet as far as the eye can see,
you know: Henry Melville on the open sea.
But it’s not blue, instead yellow and green.
Is your car a time machine?
Down the highway, straight into the 90s
Not even the Mall Rats flick had carpet
in its Mall. And that was the holy grail
of trash buildings for commerce.
I don’t see Jay and Silent Bob anywhere,
so this isn’t the one. I wonder if they would
enjoy the rugged flooring.
I wonder if they would have tried to stop
the game show, and abusive father trying
to cancel out his daughter’s love. Could they have
eveaded security with this turf-ish traction?
They fell a lot, and no one digs rug burn, aka
why you don’t wrestle in a living room.
There’s a Dollar Store in here, a place
to pick up supplies for the cheap,
carrying the same tag of a fake cheese burger from McDonalds.
Fries are king at our ol’ national golden arches.
Out of towners get stranded
for the experience.Tourists
gawking at our amusement park.
Forming single file lines,
constantly shifting sideways
upon the salesman at the perfume kiosk,
“shameless as the panhandlers
on the streets at home!”
The fortress’ golden fluff is a bit grungy,
and not because of moody Seattle punk music,
really the vacuum cleaner is broken,
stowed away in the janitor’s closet.
Do we expect him to pick up the trash with his hands?
Litter from the loiterers dragging feet on tile doesn’t leave a mark
like this.
The Mall Rats’ graffiti: sauntering and strolling
from store to freaking store. Not buying.
Credit cards are obsolete here. There’s an ATM
next to one of the Rug stores. Couldn’t tell you which.
Kids are playing in a pin, the pink pigs,
across from the Channel 7 news studio. Yeah, we’re still within
the doors, because a reporter just wandered toward
a vending machine. What year is this?
More bizarre than Bizzaro, or an ice storm in hell,
the more I pass the stores, contentedness
grows and expands, like Bruce’s skin when he turns green,
like the carpet. I’m not frequent.
No hanging out by the pet store,
perusing the GAP.
At least I won’t admit.
So why am I here?
No! That’s not it.
Dude, this mall has carpet.
Wordy Tableau 