I read about a man

He'd had a continuous headache since he was young

And he didn't realize he was in pain

Until he began receiving regular chiropractic adjustments

He didn't realize he was in pain

Until it was gone.

It was a brochure for chiropractic

It was another philosophical plug.

I already knew the left of my face was numb

I've felt like a stroke victim for a while

And I'm surrounded by loving family members who

Tell me that it's normal.

The sensation will return to my face.

I wonder if my face is like this long enough

Will I accept it as normal?

Will I only realize that it's numb

When I'm smacked and actually feel it?

There was a woman who

Had three kids and they were all overweight and

Their projected futures were littered with heart disease, diabetes, and weight-inspired depression.

And she didn't realize how she was killing her kids

Until they began eating fish regularly

(Ignoring the high levels of mercury reported in fish foods)

It was an ad for fish, like the church's excuse for not eating meat on Fridays

It was an excuse to eat fish,

It was another philosophical plug.

I'm unnatural if I do anything but have babies

I've felt like a societal victim for a while

I have great opportunities ahead of me, but

I'm supposed to be a martyr and just have babies

As though I'm a young girl offered to an old man in

The third world.

And I'm surrounded by a loving boyfriend who

Tells me that it's normal.

As I grow, I'm going to understand

And then I'll want kids and if I don't

Then he will leave my barren womb

Because he deserves better.

He deserves

To have an excuse to be inside me without a condom.

You keep telling me how great the same things are.

I'm tired of the plug.

You keep feeding me the New York City/all-natural/glamorous/Buddhist lifestyle

I'm tired of the Virgin Mary statues.

I saw in the news a woman who'd

Killed herself by turning on a gas oven and

Instantly

The reporters said she was a loner, was shy, was reserved

And no one realized her problems until it was way, way too late.

She never married or had kids.

And her neighbors were inspired to start living more social lives.

It was an ad for popular society.

The news story was just another plug.