Tatami Boxes

by Joseph Chamberlin

No way to live
Is living in a tatami box
Eating soft food
And watching your neighbors
Dental work deteriorate
Like so many black stumps
Cut down, adding noise
For "Progress!"

All kinds of money
With nothing to spend it on
Except at inflated prices
That never bought a great dentist
Anyway, it pains me to see
THE POSITION that people are put
Away from home, their boxes,
Their Women and children from
The same crusted mold, and
Of course, it can't be any other
Way because that wouldn't be
Team Playing; TEAM PLAQUE,
TEAM ROOT CANAL.

I dream of Team Japan
Chasing me with Team Teeth
With their Team Mild 7 cigarettes
Burning my bum as I run
Towards Team Mediocrity, 'cause
I have to be a Team Player
And this Team Player
This one man "Horned Devil Team"
Sometimes thinks that this race
Ain't worth running.

Joseph is a TPC member

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