Let us all give thanks
For the Internet and email and text messages and TV and radio—
Those unassailable domains of the marketers,
Who, being the heirs apparent of all humanity,
Have brought our race finally to this glorious maturity,
Born again by way of the ever-gushing font of ads—
That life-giving stream, as from Eden itself—
Without which no one could ever know
What to think of himself
Or what he needs
Or how to find
His own way
To market!

Idiots.

But they had it coming—
That former race—
Too ignorant to be ashamed
Of their unsophisticated ways
And irresponsibly preoccupied
With primitive things, as if
There were really life
Outside the market.

We have even heard
That some of them
Thought there were
More important things
Than things.