poem of the day 03.20.15

five for five

i feel like

i’m in a harvey pekar comic

standing in this grocery line

listening to the two women in front of me

arguing the price of soda with the cashier

it says five for five, they keep shouting

one of them is shaking the grocery flyer

soon the manager comes over

and three other cashiers who could be ringing people out

he’s trying to sooth the situation

but he’s just pissing the women off

i picked this line because it was the shortest

i should’ve known

there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this town

and no one ever gets behind old ladies

hot on the heels of sunday mass and jonesing for a sugar fix

at least it’s not election day

everyone else in this joint

looks wiser than me in the moment

people with their ice cream and cold cuts

who will pay and be out and free

while i’m stuck behind these old bats

as they continue to plead their case

five for five, they keep on

there aren’t even any hot cashiers

too look at to pass the time

so i look at the things in my basket

fruit, vegetables, club soda for vodka

meats, cheese, toilet paper and cat food

everything is an essential part of my human wheel

i can’t even toss the basket and leave

i just stand there watching my minutes tick

high noon on sunday

with a six-day work week staring down the barrel of a gun

as the women and the manager and even more cashiers

are leaning over the grocery flyer

like they’re examining battle plans

in this dirty little war we wage

and call it a life.