Shaun O'Neal

Monument To Nothing

The malls are full so build some more.

Stuff the mail, go door to door.

Sell all you can, then sell some more.

Baubles, bangles, beads.

Get the biggest car, pay the highest price.

Capitalism at its finest, make it, sell it.

Is there a need for all we produce?

I want it, give it to me now.

That’s all this life is about.

Take, take, take, and never give.

Giving stuff, that’s done in the name of love.

Show her you love her, diamonds.

No diamond, no love.

What have we done.

We should give the love in our hearts.

The beauty of a sunset, the quiet majesty of the forest.

Walking hand in hand, heart to heart.

The stars above care not for things.

Trappings mean nothing.

The only thing you can take with you when you die is love.

I wrote this piece around April in 2002

I had settled down for the night and had turned on the TV for looking for news of the day.

Not something I do often, the news is always bad.

There was a segment on how well the malls in the area were doing, business was booming.

Looking around the town I live in the next couple of days, I could see new building going up.

Shopping centers mostly.

I started to pay attention to the ads on broadcast TV.

Some just showcased the product.

Others like one ad for diamonds, showed a man in a town square yelling that he loved his wife.

This made her uncomfortable.

When he gave her a rock she became very loving.

How sick is that shit.

That put this woman in the roll of a gold digger or a whore!

Someone who will only show love for money and things.

What the hell are we teaching people with all this crap!