without coupons
May. 23rd, 2002 04:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gurdonarkShe's traded her last book of stamps
for things she did not really want
from magazines she did not ask to receive.
When she's done with the cutting and
pasting and making of stamp books,
will she be able to breathe or will
that stickiness
just adhere
to whatever's within her?
She noticed the fine print on a stamp,
the "cash value: one mill", and
she wondered why she tried so hard,
each time the chance arose, to
save the stamps, as if her soul
were printed for retailers
to pass out to anyone who buys,
and she must save as much as she could.
Now her store gives her a card
which provides her with discounts,
and the store with connections,
a cyberspace faux relation,
life lived for marketing statistics.
She does not need trade goods or discounts
or improved customer tracking;
she thinks she doesn't need anything,
other than quiet and comfort.
But as she pauses by the mailbox,
huge stamp book envelope just mailed,
she longs for the feel of a long strip of
stamps, fresh-ripped from a register, being
placed gently into her hand.
for things she did not really want
from magazines she did not ask to receive.
When she's done with the cutting and
pasting and making of stamp books,
will she be able to breathe or will
that stickiness
just adhere
to whatever's within her?
She noticed the fine print on a stamp,
the "cash value: one mill", and
she wondered why she tried so hard,
each time the chance arose, to
save the stamps, as if her soul
were printed for retailers
to pass out to anyone who buys,
and she must save as much as she could.
Now her store gives her a card
which provides her with discounts,
and the store with connections,
a cyberspace faux relation,
life lived for marketing statistics.
She does not need trade goods or discounts
or improved customer tracking;
she thinks she doesn't need anything,
other than quiet and comfort.
But as she pauses by the mailbox,
huge stamp book envelope just mailed,
she longs for the feel of a long strip of
stamps, fresh-ripped from a register, being
placed gently into her hand.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
more precious than money
Date: 2002-05-23 03:56 pm (UTC)the excitement at the grocery store when you got the big 10 stamps because it meant less licking and pages filling faster!
the beauty of sea green pages face to face filled with tiny green stamps, especailly in they were all in one sheet
the accomplishment of filling an entire book
dreaming through the catalog to decide which item would be the desired purchase (i like it was called it a "purchase")
going with my mom to the s & H green stamp store to pick out our waffle maker...i can see the building even now and the waffle maker's somewhere
returning home knowing there were still stamps in the buffet drawer initializing the next "purchase"
i found some old green stamps in that drawer a few years ago and keep them in my treasure box of rare and beautiful stamps
did use some on a paper art doll last year for a mail box show
do you remember green stamp ads?
thank you for the stroll down memory lane
Re: more precious than money
Date: 2002-05-23 07:53 pm (UTC)I miss green stamps and space food sticks and the prizes in the bottom of bottle caps.
Re: more precious than money
Date: 2002-05-23 08:08 pm (UTC)and REAL prizes in cracker jacks!