introduction:

"When ‘we’ finally did choose the paint
Silk or matt, it ain’t something
I want to do again, but I know I will and that I have to
all that squatting in the Que
4 hours-just to leave a sodding car park
and at the last minute
my injuries were insulted once more
for
the sprogs declared a desire for ice cream
-the sods poured it all over leather.
and then it started raining again."

despite the downpour
optimistic people trudge deluded
the open sandal shoes
mostly middle age
mostly starting to lose all hair
middle class
pairs peering out
over stacks of double glazed glass
his n hers
debating their desires
arguing the toss
on gas stoves or electric fires
lets share the artificial flames
the backdrop to the perfectly arranged
aisles of choice.
and
The heartless manipulators and security guards
Watch from sonic sockets
Their smoked Perspex spheres hide cameras
They scan for bulging pockets
then zoom in on you
cleavge loving pervs
Empower themselves with security
They make
Cold eyes
And demonstrably devise
New and invigorating ways
In which to stimulate us.
Themselves so mindless and voyeuristically bored
Parallel run the lines and shelves
Parabolic the mirrors
Demented the minimum wage elves
Stacking row upon row
For endless pockets we delve
For things we don’t really need
But like any hob knobbed biscuit greed
We lap it up anyway
And feel guilty
As the guarantee that came with these consumer disposables
Did not include greed or stupidity.
The push bike exercise machine
Made in korea
Lasted only seventy nine miles
Or was that your tolernace for diet
it never happens and he pats the fat
gets
tugged by a child
realises that
this: this is  all he will ever be
this: it is all he is ; all he ever will be
unless he wakes up
from what is slowly becoming
a disaster.