At a pawn shop in a college town
You can buy the pieces to a better life
Instruments someone else learned to play
And a graphing calculator that will save your ass during finals
Jewelry from grandma
Hocked to pay the rent or numb the pain
Lit up in the window
Behind the bars
Under the neon
Those kids are going somewhere
And this was too much to carry
Rich in their wake
Snap it up for a little money
That telescope from when astronomy seemed like a good major
Or the designer bags step mom sent
Innocent of sweatshops and newborn ideals
Pawned in righteous rage
Here are all the pieces
The graduating class left town last summer
And took with them the instructions
For assembly
Of that better life.
Copyright Meg Elison 2012
