Stuart Watkins
Watching shoppers maneuver grocery carts
around aisles crammed and jammed
with spur-of-the-moment items
designed to entice those without lists
of truly needed necessities
cart nudges lower stack of canned goods
stack topples
cans scatter
shopper scurries to next aisle
kids standing in grocery cart
reaching for cereal boxes
mother talking on cell phone
one kid teeters
grabs the other’s arm
both fall
not hurt
cereal boxes smashed
Cheerios and Corn Flakes intermingle on floor
mom grabs kids by arms
lifts both into cart
yells at them to stay seated
street person stuffs cake
inside inside-pocket of ragged coat
looks around
reaches for box of cookies
cookies fit inside another inside pocket
teenager nervously
looks over whiskey bottles
selects Jack Daniels
walks out the front sliding glass doors
starts running
no one pursues
insurance situation
found organic gallon of milk
found a dozen organic eggs
go to self-check-out counter
pay
leave
drive home