Dollar Store Philosophy

[Richard]

“Dollar Store Philosophy”

Aisles in dollar stores,
where everything costs more
than a dollar now,
seem like the perfect purgatory
for prayers I would never say
or even think
because it’s easier to stare at sponges,
instead of looking at myself
and realizing a no refund policy
is as much a metaphysical conundrum
as an inconvience of the time.

Leaving me to remember the old prices
like dead philosophers
who wouldn’t drown in beer bottles
from my university days,
yet died of thirst
after middle aged me dried them out
with a flood of worries from car payments,
mortgage rates, rising inflation
and the inevitability of tariffs.

[dukealien]

“Dollar Store Philosophy”

Aisles in dollar stores,
where everything costs more
than a dollar now,
seem like the perfect purgatory  Sounds well, but going back to "aisles" leads to questions of how Purgatory is subdivided
for prayers I would never say
or even think  okay, things you'd never buy even after you were in the church, er, dollar store
because it’s easier to stare at sponges,
instead of looking at myself
and realizing a no refund policy  interesting second meaning, "realizing" = to make real
is as much a metaphysical conundrum
as an inconvience of the time.         "inconvenience," I think, though if de-Latinized it might mean not going along the road?
  But seriously, the denomination of sins is truly a problem of the times:  abortion used to be mortal, now it's barely a Hail Mary.  Good observation.

Leaving me to remember the old prices
like dead philosophers
who wouldn’t drown in beer bottles
from my university days,  nice way of recalling how conversation always turned to Marx, Plato, or (in some surroundings) Adam Smith, even down the University pub
yet died of thirst
after middle aged me dried them out
with a flood of worries from car payments,
mortgage rates, rising inflation  philosophy, too, is a way of bluffing through Purgatory.  Or thinking you might.
and the inevitability of tariffs.  Connection:  Purgatory is the tariff for entering Heaven - good works aren't enough, you have to feel bad about being bad, too.

My own fixation in dollar stores is the Tupperware™ knockoffs - I always buy one or two, or at least dream of what I could put in them.

Ahem.  In moderate critique, the basic observation about prices breaking a barrier is good; only those (like my sister) who  never visit dollar stores will fail to sympathize.  The dead philosophers connection seems a bit stretched: it takes a live one (or close, like Keynes) to stand up for inflating the currency.  Saying property is theft, per the middle-old like Marx, works only when someone else is paying your rent.  As Karl's was.

Ahem twice.  The above notwithstanding, this is good - hits the right notes, made me think.  Aside from the one spelling correction I have no hard suggestions beyond building a stronger bridge between the first and second stanzas.  Free verse is a good form for this kind of discourse.

[Richard]

Appreciate the feedback, Duke. The point about the aisles subdividing purgatory really made me stop and think a bit differently about this. I was also a bit worried about whether or not the stanzas were connected strongly enough, so that is helpful info as well. Thanks

[meadzbabyy]

The core of this poem is really strong + relatable, as it immediately resonated with me. W/ that being said, the only thing I would lightly revise would be the ending (maybe drop one of the examples?) just because it slightly veers into "listing" territory. That being said, it really doesn't take away from the overall quality of the poem. I enjoyed reading it

[Richard]

Thanks for the feedback meadz. I was curious about whether or not the ending was strong enough, so I really appreciated that point.