You could be anyone 

use that imagination 

power and privilege 

sale in the shop 

 

drawn to language 

storied emotions 

practical friends 

have it all mapped out 

 

a suburban boy 

world’s a whirly toy 

things are expected 

just read the lines 

 

suburban boys 

know when to wake up 

fold those dreams 

in time for the bus 

 

she’s done lessons 

piano, riding, ballet 

time for bed and

financial fairy tales 

 

one day her prince comes 

in a Chevrolet 

she’ll remember that culture 

as a childish thing 

 

suburban girls 

dream of many things 

nightmares remind them

clocks are ticking 

 

make it on her own 

if that’s what it takes 

somewhere out there 

love saves the day 

 

a planet’s had enough 

of all these cliches 

like an exhausted clown 

after 8 billion birthdays 

 

with a touch and a shrug 

hot and cold pains 

all this dreaming becomes

a big pile of waste

 

suburban worlds  

won’t be sustained 

all these outcomes 

leave no marks in substrate 

 

suburban worlds 

crack under the weight 

of trillionaire schemes 

and unhappy fates