"Your spiritual speed-bump on the information superhighway!"

#168

"O the mind, mind has mountains; cliffs of fall
Frightful, sheer, no-man-fathomed. Hold them cheap
May who ne'er hung there."---Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-89)

          Johnson City "Super K"

The Johnson City "Super K," the locals say,
Is bigger than some towns in Tennessee.
They had to redirect the Interstate
And tear down houses so the out-of-towners
Could get here faster for their shopping sprees.
The local folks complain, but they shop there
Just the same.  Some spend their whole vacation
In this Third World K-mart nation, which
Could use a subway station; it's that big.

Inside today Earl Butts is holding court
Next to the Linen/Shower Curtain aisle.
Towering above him is a pile
Of pink bath towels.  His graying pony tail
And John Deere hat pulled low; this is a show:
The bloodshot eyes, unshaven face, disguise
Him and a group of guys similarly dressed
And equally distressed at their surroundings.

He leans against the column where the white 
courtesy phone hangs for customer assistance.
Thus, the unsung conservationist stands, 
Leading the resistance, conserving himself,
An endangered species worthy of the
Inner Peace Core of this Super Store,
Preserving more than mores, saving more
Than whales, with human souls in close-out sales,
The Super K is not the narrow way.