wake up in poetry

The dark underbelly of positive thinking is
its logical extension is that it blames victims.
Can’t smile your way out of getting hit by a bus.
Can’t compliment yourself until you’re immortal.
It’s like these self-help zombies are telling us
“Of course, your grandma died, look at yourself
look how you were dressed, you were asking for
your grandmother to die.”

We are not totally masters of our own fate or
all the serfs would’ve become kings and queens
just by praying to the sunshine long enough.
There are injustices all around us
there are rigged economical games
there are privileges we have
there are privileges we lack
there is racism sexism classism
there are isms for and against
every faith or lack of faith.
There is also just dumb luck!
After all the horrors and advantages we
can measure out in currency or time
there is straight up good or bad luck!

Does positive thinking help?
Positive thinking probably helps like a little.
Positive thinking probably helps a couple percentage points.
Positive thinking is probably a pretty good tie-breaker thing.
But saying it can turn the whole show around and
you’re only failing/oppressed/suffering/in pain
because you’re not whistling while you toil at Wal-Mart?
That’s how they get you.
That’s how they keep you down at Wal-Mart.
That’s how they keep you from blaming yourself instead of
throwing off the blue smock and the smiley face and
joining the revolution.

It’s no coincidence, brother
sister, it’s no mere marketing scheme
why the bookshelves of the Wal-Mart
are filled with books on positive thinking.
They’re making you blame the victim
they’re making you blame yourself
don’t let them.

Wake up.