Value Added

by Cliff Lake

I bit into a candy and was disappointed
That I was not immediately granted sparkle-vision
And transported via altered consciousness to New Jersey
Or at least my bedroom.

Are we being prepared
For sweets to be infused with LSD
And sold to children?
And if we are,
Why doesn’t Q know it?
They seem pretty hip to everything else.

That’s the problem with your better conspiracy theories:
The guys with the inside info
Are armed to the teeth
So, you can’t get close enough to find out
If they really are nuts
Or if it was just a bad joke that went too far.

How many carbonated soft drinks do I need,
To ride a rainbow roller coaster?
Is there a specific quantity?
Just that one flavor?
Or are my VR goggles low on power?
Replacing my imagination
With a new streaming service.

The spending season has opened
And allows me to fill the empty corners
With plastic 
And faux wood trauma,
Made more attractive
With built-in Wi-Fi.
Big Brother Christmas cheer.

Speak into the salt shaker
And monitor your toilet paper usage
From the kitchen.
Useless convenience,
Inhuman connection,
Put the VR set back on
And the noise-cancelling headphones
To interact with your relatives
In the other room.

Less is more.
That’s why the cereal box
Is already half empty.
Fortified with vitamin D
Value added
Minus product.

This holiday season
Let’s answer the question:
How’s your credit?

Cliff Lake 12/3/2023
Copyright © Clifford Lake 2023