"A New Lifestyle" by James Tate

The author of this poem recognizes the problem in our modern society today, we all feel that there is just so much to do in such little time, that we feel there is just no time to sleep, and relax. And the only thing that can help people stay up, is coffee. The poem starts of rather, normal--we find people do drink too much coffee, in the morning, when they drive...but then it is slowly exaggerated, giving the readers a image of a dogcatcher chasing a dog with a net in one hand and a coffee in the other---which is a bit odd. I believe that the author is trying to get to the point and idea that we are slowly getting to the point where people would drink coffee in the most random and awkward situations.