guilt-shopping

if you want to shop for guilt 

the options are dazzling 

the malls are well-stocked 

there's guilt of war, of climate change

there's guilt about not meeting others expectations of us  

about not meeting our own 

we're guilty about the things we can't change 

we're guilty about what we can but don't. 

there's guilt about not living an authentic life

there's guilt about being selfish 

ah, guilt -- expensive, expensive guilt 

we spend extravagantly on buying guilt 

we beg, steal, borrow, we even seek it out  

it makes us feel important, this guilt 

but you know, sometimes it 

doesn't even belong to us. 

we can lament at who we have become 

power-hungry barbarians? 

planet-destroying beasts? 

or we can be economical, 

keep the burden light,

build a little bit of apathy, 

and distract ourselves 

with trees and birds and things --

things that are less heavy on the heart  

so that we can all 

move along now.