Popularity
Sweatpants and fifteen-dollar
Wally-world slip-ons do the job
when I’m home alone and happy.
A child, I believed them
when they said I’d
run faster and jump higher
In them Keds,
for a tenth of what they pay
for fly higher and faster
Nike Dunks, which tell me
things and give me thoughts
they don’t want to hear or know.
Now you must love me. Ima woke.
I spent a week’s pay for
these kicks. Now kiss them.
I look both ways and wonder, am I the person I think I am?
Or am I a slave to popular marketing?
Mind the gaps before falling into a mentality where popularity trumps all things practical.
Our Literary Journey 
I was not brought up on name brands – and I still don’t go for ’em! I desperately wanted Adidas running shoes but my mother would only buy the North Stars. Two stripes vs three. How uncool was that? Funny thing is, I could jump just as high or far in my “lower brand”. I am thankful (now) that she didn’t let me be sucked into those ads. I have raised my kids the same way.
This is excellent, my friend.
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Thank you, Dale. Sometimes there is an issue of quality, but while I did, as a child, imagine that I ran faster, I am over that now. 🙂 I hope.
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Yes, to a point, there is an issue of quality. I just cannot justify paying, say, $200 for a camisole vs, say $50. There is quality and there is whaaaat?
Of course, as children, it is so very easy to convince children of these supposed powers.
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I agree. 🙂
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🙂
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I’ve never been committed to any brand, until I discovered “Source Sandals” ~ now I don’t wear anything else!
❤
David
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I would take that recommendation serious, David. 🙂 Thank you.
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I’ve never been a slave to fads or fashion and have never owned any expensive sneakers or slides! I am liberated!
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I was never a label person, Peter. If I wore name brands, I could tell you where the sale was. 🙂
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Thanks Bill. Nice poem. Most important, them being comfortable. The rest is hard work and practice.
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Thank you, Susan.
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I think we need a photo to accompany this poem! Enjoyed this, Bill 🙂
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Thanks, Sunra. I shall work on it.
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