The sudden eighties music craze
had gone beyond the norm
the local supermarket
was swept along by the storm
as more and more of the shoppers
joined in with the revival
filling up on nostalgia
from t-shirts to CDs and vinyl
Reaping the customer whirlwind
for Boy George and Eurythmics tracks
some smart Alec from head office
said “This is no time to Relax!”
the mullet headed store manager
he looked a manic Midge Ure
a sarcastic lad on the tannoy
said “Sorry, but we’ve got no Cure”
Over at customer services
I said a mistake’s being made
“The seventies had John Lennon
Bob Marley, T. Rex, Slade!”
the guy claimed to be sympathetic
towards my point of view
then asked me to go on a website
and give him a Five Star review
A wise woman sat at the checkout
smiled to me as she said
“When this fad blows over
they’ll still want milk and bread”
so the moral to this story
is one of wisdom not sadness
that everyone’s entitled to
their little bit of Madness.
I'm in line at a store, and I'm bored,
Typing on my phone, restless and alone.
I’ve got light-blue nails, like the sky or your eyes.
I like them, it’s my favorite color - I don’t know why.
I’m buying flavors for my coffee, nutmeg and pumpkin spice.
I like having coffee in the morning, when it’s cold, they’ll taste nice.
There’s a really old lady at the check-out, she’s moving very slowly.
She’s paying with cash and coin, from a pouch, counting carefully, holey-moley.
She’s frail and reminds me of my Grandmère, with her white hair,
her sturdy shoes, I want to pick her up and hug her - but laissez-faire.
When my turn came, I waved my Apple watch over the pay terminal - it’s fast and contactless - like the whole world. Does anyone hug old ladies anymore?
long lines at food mart
I move to the self checkout-
wait for assistance
Sandra M. Haight
~4th Place~
Contest: Writing Challenge 5, May 2019, Senryu
Sponsor: Dear Heart
Judged: 06/09/2019
In many local chain stores,
The cashier is now passé.
You check out by yourself whenever
You’re prepared to pay.
You scan each item one by one;
The codes reveal the price
And if you have a coupon,
It’s accepted – very nice!
If you need help, a store employee’s
Waiting in the wings
And when you’re done, some bags await
For you to pack your things.
At first I wasn’t thrilled about
The whole self-checkout plan,
But since it seems to speed things up,
I’m now a loyal fan.
Those Checkout Line Tabloids
By Elton Camp
Yellow journalism is still easy to find
It’s right there when you stand in line
Their only purpose is to make them sell
And don’t mind if some big lie they tell
They may attack one who’s underground
For with a lawyer he can’t come around
To call for proof what they said is true
Or to demand damages that they’ll rue
Yet the living are not entirely immune
And their integrity tabloids may impugn
The tabloid may to vile trickery resort
Inside say the headline is a false report
As if a victim of slander they do defend
To set things straight is all they intend
This type of journalism would disappear
If to it, the public would never come near
If tempted to buy one, please think again
Supporting them makes scoundrels win
No I'm not dying
Been sitting in a motel
Writing poetry
Until asleep I finally fell
You checkin at dark
Giving money for a bed
Checkout at 10am
Is what the sign said
In the shower
Then out the door
Leaving beautiful California
When I get home, I'll write more
I'm stopping to pick blackberries
I may be a while
Stained finger tips
With a full belly...worth every mile