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The Nightmare After Thanksgiving

This poem is about consumerism and my views on holiday shopping.

By Amanda ZylstraPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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Exactly twenty-four hours after being thankful for what we already have, we trample strangers for sale items.

We sleep four hours in a turkey-induced coma.

We wake up at 3 AM to get ready for our morning of standing in line in the dark waiting for the stores to open.

Our goal is to be first in line and buy everything on our list before anyone else gets to it.

It’s a battle against other shoppers that we are determined to win.

All that talk about happiness from the company of our friends and family goes out the window.

In fact, we run over those feelings like a dead squirrel crushed under our tires in the snow.

Consumerism is strong in America.

We have to have the latest gadgets and up to date electronics.

We are constantly chasing this need to keep up and own the next best thing.

Only this battle cannot be won.

There is always something new that we need.

No wonder our country is filled with hoarders and credit card debt.

Black Friday is like a holiday to us.

It’s a celebration that lands us in debt and with a cold from standing out in the cold weather for hours.

We can bundle up in last year’s winter coat, but it will not keep us from wanting that 60 inch HD television that will be too massive for our TV Stand.

So, we will have to buy a new TV stand too.

A great deal of only $700 is now costing us an extra $500 because we have to buy a stand to put the television on.

The store employee will suggest a warranty plan and some other bells and whistles and now we are at a whopping $1,600 somehow.

And don’t forget sales tax.

That is never factored in until the last moment.

The things we own now own us.

And we will spend half our lives paying these items off.

Why be happy with a 36-inch model from five years ago, when you can have a 60-inch model that will be outdated within 6 months of its purchase.

The Nightmare after Thanksgiving begins.

The stores are all crowded.

The lines are long.

The sales associates are all overworked and underpaid.

They are missing out on time with their loved ones so that everyone else can shop.

They are working 10 hour day with limited bathroom breaks.

We need a large home to store all these “Good Deal” items we have accumulated over the years.

Minimalism is looked down on.

Though we will watch the documentary on Netflix.

Tiny houses and smart cars make most people’s brains confused.

We live in a society of fast food and throw away fashions.

What is cool today in the mall will be out of date in another six months and we will have to buy a whole new wardrobe every time the seasons change.

The system is designed to fail.

Meanwhile, there are perfectly good clothing options at thrift stores that have barely been worn.

You can pay $60 for those jeans today or $8 next year when you find them second hand at your local Goodwill.

We purchase live trees to keep in our home for one month before we throw them out like trash at the curb.

Artificial trees are frowned down on and mean that you are not as much in the Christmas spirit.

Like the Grinch, I try to prevent Christmas from coming.

I keep my Halloween decor up year round.

I refuse to purchase a live tree for my home.

I make all my Christmas gifts for others.

I take the time to use my own two bare hands to craft something custom for loved ones.

I think this means more than anything you can buy at a store.

*This poem is featured in "Peeling Sanity" Due for release in October 2018. Be sure to check out my other poetry collections on Amazon.

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About the Creator

Amanda Zylstra

Cat Lover, Poetry Writer, Tea Drinker, Skincare and Beauty Product Obsessed. Check out my poetry collection "Passing Skeletons" available on Amazon.

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