[Author’s Note: I’ve been spending time in my garden filled with varieties of texture, forms, and colors. Yet, it all seems harmonious to me. Today, I took a trip to the drug store. My senses were assaulted with garish and egotistical displays, each trying to outdo the other for my attention. I ignored it all, but I can’t help thinking there are better things for human brains to be doing that having creative people try to force me to buy a bunch of chemicals in a bright package and better things for my brain to be doing than shutting off input. Rather than assault your brain with photos from the drugstore, I have instead included pictures of bright colors from the garden. To me, these are not garish.
Jingle Jangle Color Splotchy Splash
Every bit as friendly an invite
As when razor shaves your lash.
BRANDNAMES just as Big and Bold
As Bullships dozing down a china shop
Chop Chop! Help me get a twofer sold!
One two, one two, and Snicker Snacks
Are here for Uffling Tugley Wood!
And there for the Chuffing! Nothing lacks!
Snacks of plastic, plasma, Sugar, Spice
Silvered and slivered are slices of Salt!
Salt! Salt! Does Nothing that’s nice!
Soft drinks and soda and “REEL FRUIT” drinks
Laugh with mirth! Increase your girth!
Drink them till your armpit stinks.
Not a problem! Here’s some STUFF
You’ll never stink again! And when,
At last, your health is going going gone! Tough!
We’ve got drugs to sell you! Drugs to tell you!
What is up and what is down and Down is Up!
Orange Goop is green and good and cures the flu!
Sugary drinks aplenty to wash down the chips.
Candy in a thousand phenotypes to clog your pipes.
Adding armor protection to arteries and hips.
And then again there are still more Drugs to sell you!
Drugs to wrinkle; drugs to smooth; drugs to put you Up!
Drugs to take you Down; turn you redder; turn you blue!
It’s a Marvel! A Marvelous age of Marketing and Magic!
The self-same store will make you sick and then sell cures!
The cure itself has side-effects hilarious and tragic.
We made this Age of Thunderous Blunders
We sing this song Electric, Eclectic, Eccentric
Our planet may die, but ringed in Wonders!
While shelves of nostrums Scream: BUY ME! BUY ME!
“Neversore! It will change your life forever more!
Buy a trillion, get one free! Do your part for MoneyTree!”