PLASTIC DAISIES

the girls all wore crowns 
of white plastic daisies on 
their heads and high-waisted shorts
because someone they followed
on Instagram
convinced them to 
they painted their nails 
pastel hues
and the boys wore american flag
bandanas
and tank tops which accentuated
the biceps 
they had earned
in a cult called cross fit
they all drank too much but 
not because they had demons
– they didn’t
and none of them knew who
friedrich nietzsche was or how to spell
‘melancholy’
or what it might feel like 
they all said ‘literally’ too much and 
did whatever someone called beyonce told them to 
they re-posted listicles
over and over
about how to be happy or 
successful or 
great
but the only thing they were 
to me
was blasé 
fake optimism was spreading 
like disease
they took pictures of their green smoothies and
sometimes their own feet
if you can believe that and
none of them cared that they were all being
brainwashed 
or maybe 
didn’t even realize it
but I did