The Hardware Man

I walked into the hardware store, A place I’d never been before, And knew that I would surely find Exactly what I’d had in mind. The narrow aisles were like a maze Which led to crowded wall displays. The owner, deep in heavy schmoozing,* Left me to my own perusing. Finally, I earned a glance And asked him if he had, perchance, A drainage trap or some such thing To catch a slipped-off wedding ring. He pointed to a set of shelves (I guess we had to help ourselves) And then went back into his chat, Not budging from the place he sat. The whole time I was on my search He prattled from his counter perch, Not caring if I would prevail Or even if he’d make a sale. I found my prize, he named a price And handed me my merchandise. His goodbye smile said, “Good for you! You found it, like I knew you’d do!” *conversing