by John Grey
The children are
up in their room
playing their favorite game
of used car salesman.
They are the future.
But, though
they have the shoddy goods
in their yard,
so far there’ve been no customers.
They’ve the gift
of the shyster’s gab
and faces that barely twitch
when they spout false claims
but no sucker is coming
up the stairs,
stepping into their quarters,
with his wallet out
and his brain in hock.
If it goes on like this,
they’ll have to return to
saying prayers at bedtime
and having no opinions.
And believing grandma’s
in heaven.
And their late dog, Scruff
is crossing over the rainbow bridge.
And their father doesn’t
have a dead-end job.
And their mother really has a use
for all that Tupperware
she keeps bringing home.
They’ll go back
to buying what
family life is selling.
And at a bargain of course.
And with many
a spurious lifetime guarantee.
© 2022 John Grey All rights reserved.
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