the American Dream: Thanksgiving edition

Poem about the materialistic and detached culture we live in

Nothing like
ignoring your family
to watch people throw
the old pig skin.

The flat screen screams,
Exciting and distracting,
As I try to compete
With the sound of Demi singing,
The back up dancers dancing,
The bright red and gold shimmering,
And cheerleaders gyrating.
This is the American dream.

Even as I sit here on my phone
Excitedly typing away,
I am ignoring my family too.
One of those ceaselessly attached to the phone,
Typing and writing away,
Making my thoughts known,
Even on this thanksgiving.
The American dream.

And amidst the t.v. blaring,
And the family ignoring,
And my fingers a-swyping,
Somewhere, all across America,
Are people running, rushing, screaming, fighting...
Over more flat screen tv's, and cell phones,
And all other types of unnecessary business.
They are swiping their cards,
Hungrily, anxiously,
Exchanging money for the American dream
And all that comes with it:
The broken homes,
The distant children,
The overindulgence and the question of
When is too much, too much?
And who needs five tv's anyways?

The void we are all trying to fill
Will not be mended by a gift card to Forever 21
Or a sweater from the gap.
The void is in our hearts...
It aches to break away from the American dream.

Author's Note

Let me know what you think.