Black Friday

By Bob Tuomi

Portland for Merican Thanksgiving,
a bountiful buffet of boneless, tasteless white and dark
battery turkey chased down with shoo-fly pie.
Be assured that no animals or bugs were hurt or injured during preparation.
Feast feast feast!

Merican Thanksgiving, Black Friday,
merchants give thanks for the resurrection of profits.
The thrill is in the crowds, the trying, the buying, the bargains
Portland, six hours from the border and no sales tax.
Shop shop shop!

A holy trinity of Cash, Want, Debt.
Shopping centres its Cathedrals. Priests-- merchants, media-
a chorus exulting consumption, addiction, envy,
turning water into wine and vice into virtue.
Sales sales sales!

Shopping makes the world go round, values go round,
economies turn round, everyone wanting, everyone
believing, everyone part of the feeding frenzy.
Dear Lord God of Consumerdom, forgive the bankrupt
and those too timid to steal.
Spend spend spend!

Is this the New Religion, the new gospel?
Sell eleven bibles and post your loss.
Drop the price and sell a hundred-praise be-your 're in the black!
Miracle of miracles-creditors paid.
Oh what a Wondrous Lord!
Praise praise praise!