i stacked boxes for cash while the foreclosures spread like a disease.
she was happy with what little i had. she was simple then.

her parents came to our tiny apartment.
they saw the peeling paint and my worn boots.
they began whispering to her about security, about the kind of future she deserved.

i watched the fear take root in her.
her eyes became distant. she started calculating things.

she told me that love was a practical plan for the future.
she said her parents were being realistic.

i watched her pack.
the panic of the world was a signal.
her parents were an amplifier.
she was an antenna pointed a new way.
the logical move in a collapsing system.
it still tore me apart.

reject the manufactured consent. think for your damn self.
your attention is gold. stop giving it away cheap.
learn how things work. wood, metal, soil, engines.
build your competence. it's a shield against their bullshit.
strengthen your body. it's the only vessel you've got.
say no more often than yes. your time is a razor.
find the others who refuse the sedative. their eyes will be clear.
speak truth to them, raw and unpolished.
observe the patterns of deceit. name the architects of the scam.
your workshop is your mind. keep it clean. keep it sharp.
every day, wrest something back. a skill, an insight, an hour.