Urban Poetry

MILK*SODA
FROZEN FOOD*ORGANIC FOOD
PET FOOD*FRESH FRUITS
LOTTO AND ATM
INSIDE

I was out on the streets of Chicago and saw the poem (above) posted on the awning over a convenience store.

Perhaps the poetry in this sign is not obvious, but it seemed a great expression to capture the meaning of that particular store in that particular place. Think about this, of all the products which the store carried, eight items were selected for the sign. Was that selection done at random or did the proprietor have a design in selecting the product names to list?

What do you think happens if you reverse the first line, to read “SODA*MILK”? Suddenly it is clear that each line is a comparison of processed, versus natural. (Admittedly, this is a stretch on the pentultimate line, but an ATM does provide access to cash, which is a natural as commerce, stemming from the origins of human interaction as a tool to facilitate trade, whereas the Lotto is a later development, produced as a distortion of natural trade, since in this case you trade cash for only a chance to get something.) Or again, one can see in each line an illustration of the differences between something “healthy” for you, and something potentially “unhealthy” for you. (In which case the ATM versus Lotto line fits in perfectly).

Ultimately, the poem ends with “INSIDE” – – beckoning the reader to explore the world of opposites by simply stepping into the store.