Emptiness

It’s been three weeks since I was in the grocery store, and an emptiness weighs, as if I’d lost a friend. The government issued orders for people like me, calling it “social distancing.” “Stay home,” they say. Going to a place containing what I need-- things like crumbled feta cheese, or low sodium pasta sauce, is like being with a trusted companion. Greeting cashiers by name makes each spree a social event, as well as a lifesaving one that refills the pantry. My last visit began with an App, where I selected what I wanted, and ended when a stranger put bags into the back of my car. My larder might be full, but my heart feels empty-- deprived of its weekly ritual of hunting and gathering with friends.