He checked his pocket for cash
Drove the posted speed
Followed all the rules and laws
Constrained by mores, beliefs, a body of limits
He listened to a radio preacher
Heard he would only find peace if he served
Life wasn’t about self, but about the world
It’s a big job, he thought, too big
To follow the rules
To listen to dozens of well-meaning experts
To heed the laws of polite society
To not make waves
To stay an ever-imprisoned follower

He waited in line, ordered, was served, sat,
Looked around the crowded McDonald’s
Wondered where the leaders ate lunch
Wondered why everyone he knew followed the dictates of society

He stood, the burger half eaten, dropped the remains in the receptacle
He walked into the sun, the new day
A decision made
He mattered
As much as anyone
And the rules… fuck ‘em.