There's a dead mall here in the Midwest
with many empty spaces where stores used to be
and even the anchors are hurting with the economy
in winter especially
One place does booming business
in winter especially,
an indoor kiddie romper room
like you'd see at one of the better fast foods
On the best of days the place is filled with shrieking
children beyond all control high in the rigging
daring one another to climb,
to slide, all the while getting louder and louder
One lady, far past fat, sat in a plastic lawn chair
fanning herself with a magazine
while her child ran up to her in socks
and screamed Mom! Simon Sez!
The fat lady, exasperated, fanned again,
said I don't wanna and turned away
when the girl yelled “You said!
Simon sez do Cartwheels!”
and flung herself over and over.
The fat woman, knowing now she did not need
to get up, yelled back. “Simon sez do frog leaps! Splits!”
increasingly excited by each new idea