Holiday time at the end of the mall
Once the route through stores
In search of gifts
For others and some for me
But now I realize that my life
Parallels the mall in America
Eastwood as a kid
Amazed at the department stores and shops
Even Sears, all in one place
Giant parking lots
No more city bus rides into town
Where the real department stores live
My first high school job at the mall
From Watson’s snack bar to
Stereos, washing machines, and records
The products show my age
And malls became the new department stores
Larger and more elaborate
Became the new city in the suburbs
The center of life with price tags on everything
Time to kill, go to the mall
Watching the new mall being built
Wheeling my first daughter’s stroller
Later she got lost at the mall but ended up at Penney s
Then Penney's disappeared, then Borders books,
and Borders disappeared, then Sports Authority,
Guess what happened, replaced with empty
Same mall
my granddaughter walking, holding my hand, crying
Hello Kitty fixed that
Malls in Burbank, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Honolulu
Back in Indianapolis where I started there are only malls
The city, downtown became a mall
The home mall now three times as big
Holiday time with fewer decorations
Things have changed
So many more textures
Subtle colors
Small trees with a beautiful diversity of people
Now the malls are waiting with an elaborate sadness
Amazon owns the air
Malls are earth
But people want to fly
Where do the holidays go?
