Ode to my Local TJ Maxx

Fuck consumerist culture except for when my local TJ Maxx has bowls in the exact shade of teal to match my dinner set and quench the aching in my heart you know I’m helpless in the face of a floral design all morals and principles just evaporate away and my bed may remain forever empty but TJ Maxx has sweaters galore to keep me warm the sizing is always a bit suspect but half the fun is getting to go back to return an item and further abuse my wallet sure I’m all for fair trade but where else can I find an embroidered pillowcase handmade in India for 12.99 it’s not like they’ll let me into the country anyway and we all know skincare is a scam most beauty influencers need psychiatric help but the niacinamide comes in such a pretty bottle and if my plant is dying the least I can do is gift it a beautiful pot to live out the rest of its days in serenity and no I don’t need another picture frame but have you considered that 90% of my mental health hinges on my apartment’s aesthetic value and the truth is if I haven’t spoken aloud to another person in three days I know I can go to TJ Maxx and the Bangladeshi man organising the shopping carts will say salaam as I walk in and maybe that’s all it really takes to live another day