Consumption In The Veins When I was young, my dream was to jump like Mike Have the same agility, height, dribbling skills, and a shiny, bald, black head, even though I was white I saw his Nike slogan commercial with the air bubble to pump Thought to myself now if i just had those, I could surely dunk Promised my mom I would clean my room for a year so it wouldn't stunk Just a little white lie to quickly solve my slump Made my mom buy me those shoes with a $100 bill Blind to the value of this green paper, just couldn't think of anything else but myself looking ill Went to school the next day and all my friends were like, "No Way!" I was living in the nice part of town, merging with the rough part of town Trying to seem down But really just making myself look like a consumption freaked clown A tragic realization was soon to come, but at the time i thought i was the coolest kid at school My best friend Jaylanni was still rocking his old Addidas with holes in the soles I looked at Jaylanni and said, " look man I'm gonna touch the rim!" He said, "awesome man..." with a look of pure grim I didn't come close to touching the rim, and once I got home I saw a new commercial where Mikes displaying his even newer shoes at the gym My eyebrows closed in I was confused to why I wasn't suddenly Mike: inside and out and all in within It took me a while in #life until I started to think My plan had washed down the drain of the sink I couldn't touch the rim, I wasn't any cooler with my friends, and my mom was now a $100 short on her tax day that month I swear though I looked at them and felt happy once Now I'm looking at them and feel like I just looked right at a hay-maker punch My eye swollen shut with disillusionment Bruising of wish-washed colors that exemplified confusion Fake enlightenment pitied me as I wallowed in this infusion A week before i learned my little cousin was held at gun point for these same shoes No games Consumption was flowing through my veins The shoe laces were criss-crossing around my throat I couldn't talk! I wanted to write on every bridge in all caps, "We wear so many things to show our persona," in chalk We bury our personalities with junk, I see it a lot in Pomona To increase our chances of getting with Fionna We wear what we believe to be who we are When really I feel like we are just wearing corporate tricks to hide our scars Now when I look back and think about where those pumps are now They are just with the other old ones Not lost mom but unfound Knowing now they were just another pair of shoes that didn't give me anymore status but just gave me the chance to lose Fortunately, I didn't lose myself, I just gained a lesson in my own self-worths wealth It's hard not to purchase especially when you can, And everything you see walking, is telling you to "treat yourself, and if not you, your lady! Be a man!" To walk by those billboards and stand Remember my mothers face, and understand all its worth is a 2-second, self-esteem boosting scam #revolt