Open Wide
Copyright (c) 1994, David Ziegler
All rights reserved



                           Open Wide
        Open wide they said, here it comes. It never tasted good.
        Always bitter ar sour. So then they made it pretty colors .
        So I might think it something else; Cherry Soda perhaps or
        Grape. Then they quit even trying to fool me they just said take
        it its good for you. But I don`t like it ! I said. We all knew I
        had no choice.

        Open wide they said its good for you, It wont hurt at all
        Then the room got funny and everything was mushy. I
        floated This time and even I though it wasn`t good I sure liked
        the floating part. Open wide they said as they pumped my
        stomach. Too much of A good thing? Perhaps well better luck
        next time just a little less maybe.

        Open wide they said this wont hurt, you wont feel a thing.
        They skillfully removed my dignity, my honor and were working on
        my soul. Stop I said I am in here and I want to be heard!
        Shhhh. It will all be over in a minute . And it was.
        A shell emerged bearing my name, resembling me in so many ways.
        But It was not me. The fire was gone, the spirit had
        left.

        The shell continued onward. Pausing now and then to
        reflect. What was it that brought him to this place. His parents
        ? not really. His teachers ? not entirely. Society ? not hardly.
        A steady diet of opening wide ? Of blind trust ?

        We may never know what brought him here to this place that
        disgusts us. We may never know why the blank stare in
        his eyes. But we must know this we played a part each
        and everyone of us With our selfish uncaring attitudes.
        And our unending search for success no matter the cost.
        He could have been one of us, in fact he was. The
        pressure got to him and he just gave up.


        It was a slow process the little things went first. He opened
        wide and let them take his pride. Then his heart went and all
        that was left was his job, his title, his place high up on the
        pecking order. Then one day they said to him you have to go.
        There was nothing left. The kids had left long ago along
        with the wife he had ignored for so long. Well she left to
        enter her own nightmare pecking order; we still don`t know
        how that will turn out.

        In the middle of the rust belt with a shopping cart and an
        M.B.A. he paused and wondered if I had just once said no !  This
        is not in my best interest. Would it have been better somehow?
        I think so . Sheep are never allowed too wear their coats for
        very long and the big fish always eat the small fish.

         So Tell Me !

         How does it feel to be just another part of the food chain ?


