Taking a trip to America’s largest mall,

Where anything can happen,

It’s basically a free for all.

Driving into the parking lot

Showing off your rainbow star structure

As me and my family struggled to find a parking spot

rrr

I didn’t know, how it would go,

I did wonder though,

Did it really need its own zip code?

I soon found out though

After walking inside for the first time

I could tell I came at the right time of day 

Where shopping was at its prime.

I took a look around you

Shocked to see 3 levels towering above me 

And even more to see straight ahead of me.

Something inside me was telling me 

There was more than just food and stores

Enough to have no reason to go back into the outdoors.

Where shopping can turn into carnival rides,

Or a state fair with go carts inside,

Or a rock wall climb four stories high.

Come fall and winter time in Minnesota 

I recommend a nice jacket

Made by Patogonia.

Or pull up to the two story M&M store,

And get dripped out

In all the M&M decor.

It’s definitely a lot to take in at first

So trust me when I say

Seeing everything could take up to a couple of days. 

And apparently the mall thought ahead as well

If you want to get the whole experience

The mall is literally connected to two hotels. 

First date? Going to the Mirror Maze,

And taking some selfies for each other to save,

Will make a great memory to remember – the good ole days.

Or maybe you need some more excitement? 

The indoor theme park rides, 

Is a perfect excuse for your partner to sit close by your side.

Before being built in 1992,

There was once a baseball stadium in its place,

Look it up, it’s true.

I can only imagine

How cool it was back then, 

To see Arnold Scharzenegger

Hunt down a Turbo man.

The mall’s walking path set the stage

For the movie ‘“Jingle All The Way”,

Where Arnold lost his chance,

And let the action figure slip away.

I don’t know where that huge toy store went,

A piece of my childhood,

I revisit again and again – on screen, every Christmas.

rrr

And while on the note of Xmas time, 

There really is something special about being at America’s mall

That makes it so much more divine.

With colorful trees and twinkling lights,

Creates a magical Christmas night.

Seeing people with their shopping bags filled with gifts, 

And in their other hand, a Starbucks winter latte,

Worth only a couple of sips.

Don’t get me wrong though,

The hype is real when it comes to the ‘Bucks,

But three of them in one mall,

Seems a little nuts.

But what do you expect

When the spending is non-stop

Might as well come out with the 

Next iphone from the Apple store

Even if it’s the same as the one before.

As a Texan, I was unaware of the largest mall in the US,

Until I left the south for college –

In the Midwest.

I have to say –

I was quite impressed.

At every corner I turned 

There was always a new surprise.

Being so ginormous, getting lost was almost a guarantee,

Thankfully my girlfriend was with me 

To make sure I didn’t run too free.

Especially since it’s four floors high

With each floor mapped out in a rectangle 

You can still feel like your going round in circles

We passed the Nickelodeon theme park,

I still have yet to hop on a ride,

The indoor roller coasters alone,

Separate this mall from anything else,

And nothing like we have back home.

They say everything is bigger in Texas,

Sucks to say,

This time, Minnesota has us. 

rrr

The first meal I had was burgers and milkshakes,

Sitting at Johnny Rockets.

It was a good first eating place, 

I didn’t mind it

But a second mall trip after that

A stop at Bussin Birria Tacos 

Was low key where it hit.

rrr

We could have had Mediterranean,

Or even stir-fried Chinese,

In the food court, 

where every culture lives side by side in harmony

Unlike our world’s reality.

And a couple of visits after that,

We had a mini golf date,

Where I learned she can talk some trash.

In high school she’d supported me,

At my baseball games,

But as we continue to grow together,

We also continue to change.

Sure some things stay the same,

Like her childhood sweet tooth, 

Craving “It’s Sugar” candy,

Reminding us of our youth.

Or simply walking into a plushie store

Just for a squeeze

Of any plushie she happens to adore.

She was there for that last Sunday night dinner,

A final meal with my mom,

It hurt to eat with her, just before she had to go,

And let me begin my college journey 

All on my own. 

Saying goodbye for the first time 

Saying hello to my new four year home

Trying my best to fit in,

It’s been a pretty hard transition,

But I’m doing it for my people back home.

Without whom, I wouldn’t even be in this position. 

The first in my family to be a college athlete,  

Missing my home and my hometown mall,

Representing my family and my community.

Taking advantage of this college opportunity.

A mall is more than just a trend

It’s a place where I grab a slice,

With my long-time friends.

And I keep going back so I can remember 

The mall trips back then.

Change is inevitable,

Even for the Mall of America,

Falling victim to the unavoidable –

COVID, the unpredictable.

We had to adjust to a new and unknown lifestyle

Trying to avoid a disease that was killing thousands.

We put on our masks and lost our smiles.

The mall was closed down for 3 months 

The lights went down, and the bars went up,

We all went into darkness,

And didn’t know when it’d let up.

For three months, the mall sat still,

Hibernating from the pandemic,

Against its will.

Forced into the unknown of what would come next.

We were scared to gather,

Or even take our next breath,

We were scared to hug one another,

We didn’t know who would fall victim to COVID next.

The Mall of America changed with us all,

rrr

After being in hibernation for so long

A new threat had emerged 

We’d adapted to the screens on our phones

Being tempted to buy everything we see,

The social media ads were nonstop,

Online shopping, the enemy.

We lost our connection,

We lost our friends,

We lost our celebrations and traditions,

There was only so much we could do under these harsh conditions.

rrr

Finally, there was a vaccine,

And people began to emerge,

The winter was over, it was time to get back to the old routine.

But even then, it would never be the same,

The world had changed,

We were slowly

Just trying to heal the pain.

The lights came on once again,

And the rides started up,

And the doors opened up as the people came in.

It would never be, the same as before,

Some stores stayed closed,

While new stores opened their doors.

In a mall there is something about walking in the same space,

As others you may have never met in another time or place,

It’s an energy,

That can’t be replaced,

By electronic screens,

Where I can’t see you,

And you can’t see me

rrr

The past has gone,

But we all continue on.

The future may be brighter than ever before,

We don’t know what’s in store,

Only that there’s no going backward, 

Only forward into whatever our future

Has behind its closed doors.