As seen on TV

In a corner of the kitchen, his latest purchase proudly sat
Cardboard and cellophane wrappings lay hurriedly torn and scattered
A textured backdrop for its clinical, abstract beauty
Styrofoam peanuts, surely more than ever would fill the box
Spilled over the countertop and down onto the floor
Some, clinging vertically with static, invited disbelief

Seeking to understand its purpose
Seeking to understand his own
He approached it from all angles
The gleaming chrome revealing nothing
Its complex; myriad of angles and surfaces likewise
Only its curled, black power cord offered familiarity
But the promise of insight proved short-lived

Dredging his mind for its possible uses
He considered this, his latest impulse purchase
He desperately sought to remember
He knew how and when and how much
Dutifully recorded in monotonous detail
His credit card statement revealed all, except why
Why did he live his life "as seen on TV"

© Robert Ford 1998