Discontinued Product Line

The matte-black lampshade
Looks stylish by day,
Offering contrast

In glowing sunlight,
But ugly later
When the lights are on.

As for when it’s night
And all lights are off,
It looks like a bat

Or like a vampire
Caught halfway morphing
Back from being bat.

How many of these
Were manufactured,
Shipped around the world,

Picked as standard gear
For cookie-cutter
Furnishings in flats?

Who sat down to draw
At a pad or screen
And designed this bat?

Who bought the idea?
Who sourced the metals,
Designed production,

Assigned the workers?
There’s a catalogue
Somewhere, and no doubt,

Displaying thousands
Of lampshade designs.
Does anyone point

To this one and say,
To impress someone,
That’s one I designed?