i had an untamed appetite
swallowing books whole
but i knew my limits
and it came in the form
of prices listed on the monthly book order
the teacher would hand them out
and you could check a box
then attach your parent's check
clean new books would be yours
i knew how to scan the list
ignoring compelling titles
and instead look
for the one listed as 99¢
i've always known what i wanted
but i also know
what i can get
