What percentage of the time
do you lie in that bed?
the rest a waste
of the metal springs
forged by
factory workers
pouring in their
unpaid overtime
to meticulously
shape the steel
into just the right
comforting bounce
a waste
of the soft cotton cover
picked by
(slave-descended) hands
white fluff
still echoing centuries
of black oppression
spun on foreign looms
shipped back
across the seas
dyed, woven,
stretched taut
into just the right
soothing texture
a waste
of the foam stuffing
made from...
whatever goes into
foaminess...
how many hours wasted?
daily
weekly
What percentage of the time
do you write with that ballpoint pen?
the rest a waste
of the clear plastic casing
melded from petroleum
by corporations
extracting black gold
in exchange
for greenhouse gases
a waste
of the tiny perfect sphere
rolling smoothly along
tungsten carbide surface
exquisitely crafted
for maximum efficiency
by man's finest machines
factories churning out
thousands by the hour
a waste
of the bright blue ink
the mysterious mixture
of dyes and pigments
and oils and surfactants
spilling onto the page
recording your
delicate thoughts
in desperate
existential hope
they won't be as oft ignored
as that device
from which they pour forth
how many hours wasted?
monthly
yearly
What percentage of the time
do you sit in that reclining chair?
do you walk in those polished dress shoes?
do you eat with that bent spoon?
do you style your hair with that fine-toothed comb?
do you turn the pages of your favorite book?
do you see by lamp's light in the guest bedroom?
how many hours
sitting unused, wasted?
in a life
Aug 22, 2018
Aug 22, 2018 at 9:49 AM UTC
What percentage of the time
do you lie in that bed?
the rest a waste
of the metal springs
forged by
factory workers
pouring in their
unpaid overtime
to meticulously
shape the steel
into just the right
comforting bounce
a waste
of the soft cotton cover
picked by
(slave-descended) hands
white fluff
still echoing centuries
of black oppression
spun on foreign looms
shipped back
across the seas
dyed, woven,
stretched taut
into just the right
soothing texture
a waste
of the foam stuffing
made from...
whatever goes into
foaminess...
how many hours wasted?
daily
weekly
What percentage of the time
do you write with that ballpoint pen?
the rest a waste
of the clear plastic casing
melded from petroleum
by corporations
extracting black gold
in exchange
for greenhouse gases
a waste
of the tiny perfect sphere
rolling smoothly along
tungsten carbide surface
exquisitely crafted
for maximum efficiency
by man's finest machines
factories churning out
thousands by the hour
a waste
of the bright blue ink
the mysterious mixture
of dyes and pigments
and oils and surfactants
spilling onto the page
recording your
delicate thoughts
in desperate
existential hope
they won't be as oft ignored
as that device
from which they pour forth
how many hours wasted?
monthly
yearly
What percentage of the time
do you sit in that reclining chair?
do you walk in those polished dress shoes?
do you eat with that bent spoon?
do you style your hair with that fine-toothed comb?
do you turn the pages of your favorite book?
do you see by lamp's light in the guest bedroom?
how many hours
sitting unused, wasted?
in a life
Ever thought about how much of the time the things we so desperately "need" sit around unused, unneeded? What a waste of resources and the time spent to craft them! What excess!!
