For three hours, I wait.
Is patient the word?
A friendly face, too soon?
Still, when your old
you have no time
for particulars, need to tell
your story to who will listen;
and walk miles and miles
of aisles in the dollar store
where your friend
never goes; and you tell
her about the rose;
and eventually
Mary and Martha meet,
having never crossed paths
before, and
probably nevermore this side
of heaven; and
the painstaking path
has been blocked.
For three hours I wait
to retreat, as
my husband texts me -
I mean I’m not that far away,
yet, time seems to travel.
Now, I’m quite familiar
with the products sold.
I bought a plastic box
(for a wig I used for my sister’s party);
a yellow, smiley face neck pillow,
nail wraps and nonpareils.
The jaunt of longsuffering,
surely was worth my time;
I survived. This was merely
the end of a very long day.
I’ll not bore you
with the unusual beginning.
Back home, I stuffed my face
and watched a show with my
husband. It was after seven.
I will see all of this reel as a real blessing
and be glad I didn’t stand anyone up.
I love when we sit in the hot bright sun,
add some butter or we will get well done.
Sky and water of ice blue,
better than the dull store view.
Oh! look I am popping so I will run.
I’m taking too long in here.
This cart I am trying to steer.
Is squealing around corners constantly.
There’s nothing except throwing groceries in endlessly.
The wet floor sign is laughing too hard.
I still need to buy a thank you card.
But words don’t exist in the confines of the store.
Just lines and scribbles galore!
Ribbons streaming from nowhere.
Like sadness from a tearful pear.
I could leave this store at any time.
But not without an angry lime.
Not without doing something odd.
Like catching bags of chips with a fishing rod.
Eating a pastry from a display.
Jumping around to avoid the fray.
I’m taking too long in this place.
Where I can feel the freezer section’s embrace.
The cold is not the only thing in me.
I wish everything was free.
Free like a smiling flower in the floral department.
Which is beautiful despite dismemberment.
I wish I was free too…
In this store with too many tears undue.
You know you've hit rock bottom for sure
when you find your track
in a used record store
under a stack at the very back
of the ten pee CD rack
(does anyone buy them anymore?)
and you know you've hit the all-time low
it's a sure bet
when you don't see your song
in any list at all
on the worldwide internet
rock bottom don't get lower than that
from up to down at the drop of a hat
better to be a has-been a player in the game
than a never-was because
they may have been the best of times
and tho' memories will last
I won't spend the rest of my days
living in the past
Five items in my shopping cart. Pull into
the line for fifteen items or less. One customer
ahead of me. Middle-aged woman with twenty items
arguing with the clerk. I have an appointment in half an hour.
“Lady, you have too many items!” If looks could kill, she’d be dead.
as
the morn
opens its
door to what is
in store for this day,
creek rise and hazy skies
say, what a glorious way
to greet this spring day, a brand new
beginning to be grateful; thank God
for life, love, laughter, family; and praise
Him for the huge lemon daylilies' blooms
fern leaf fennel as its gold blossoms
open to reveal their beauty
thank Him for the burnt rust ones
as well, thank You God for
sunshine and rain that
encourages
their quick growth
thank you
God
In my small hometown,
A steel door of a teal store
Always wide open,
People coming and going,
Items paid and spoken for.
Indigo book store
Its my favourite store
It has many books
For everyone to read
I could spend hours
Inside this book store
The staffs are cheerful
If you can not find
A book you search for
A staff will bring you
To find your new book
There are items there
Writing pads journals
Pens pencils diaries
Travel mugs and more
A small coffee shop
To enjoy a break
do you remember
do you remember...
there were
empty stairways of two flights or more
the sweet aroma from the candy store
endless chatter floating free
from laughing people…like you and me
stolen kisses in the afternoon
on a borrowed blanket from another room
we lost all track of minutes past
hoping minutes and kisses would forever last
do you remember...
there were
raindrops falling all around
and we laughed and listened
to the pelting sound
we swallowed kisses like never before
we knew we could use them
there were plenty more
do you remember...
there were
seagulls soaring overhead
as we laid upon our makeshift bed
and the wind was swirling all around
while we laid our grass-stained blanket down
no one mattered except you and me
in our innocent pursuit of feeling free
there was no pain, there were no tears
no looking ahead to the coming years
do you remember?
tolbert
I look to my right
And there’s a bin of stuffed animals just like the one you bought me
I look to my left
And there’s your favorite flavor of ice cream
I look down
And I see your Nebraska sweatshirt I couldn’t let them throw away
So I think maybe
Just maybe
And I look up.
But there's no trace of you in the sky
Just the harsh grocery store lights
Reflecting off the tears streaming down my face.
I like walking to the store.
Every day I buy a bit
Of what I need, for home supplies.
Or maybe I just look around.
I like walking back to home.
On the way I might observe
If my neighbors are around,
Or maybe left their TV on.
Sometimes kids play out-of-doors
On the lawn, where their energy
Is safely ignored by all
Except by each other, and their dog.
what beauty
God has in store
each day
if only
we opened
our hearts
to receive
the prizes
Laura is a shopkeeper
Who’s selling many things
From a plastic dovalacky
To brilliant diamond rings
She’ll unload on anyone
Just anything that’s handy
An umbrella coloured blue
Or sticky sugar candy
Incase your feeling teary
Hankies you can buy
Or maybe feeling hungry,
Ham sandwich she’ll supply
Looking for one item?
Coming out with more?
Probably now you’re penniless
From entering Laura’s store
The corner video store
With the neon lights,
Was the place to be
On Friday nights ...
Only black VHS tapes
In clear, plastic cases,
Lined the 'HORROR' sections
Of my favorite places
From left to right ...
Up and down the walls,
There were bloody fangs
... And killer dolls
Aliens and dinosaurs
Monsters on the prowl,
Giant sharks terrorize
Wild, werewolves howl
Next to white masked men
Hungry zombies run amok,
If my favorite's already gone
... Then, I'm out of luck
Demons and busted ghosts
Wicked witches casting spells,
Vampires and psychos
Dark houses and hotels
Wire rack rentals of ...
Haunted cars and T.V.'s,
Eventually, I'd take my pick
And then, go pay the fees
With a sack of popcorn
For three days I'd slouch,
Against the biggest pillow
On the end of our couch
The whole house was dark
But, the T.V. screen shined,
Back in the days ...
Of "Be Kind. Rewind."
You been gone for a while,
they start to doubt—
but I know where you at.
In the dead of night
no matter what room
you occupy, I abide.
Through all my senses
I feel you all around me.
Petrifyingly beautiful,
they begin to leave
with a misunderstanding.
Baby they think you don't visit me.
Not knowing you were sitting across
from us grinning ear to ear.
I choose this early time
as the nightfall is only for me.
When you come alive.
Your hair is spaced out
curling from the top to the ends,
same as how we embrace.
A hand wraps around my shoulder blade
and another at the back of my head.
How have I managed to say goodbye?
Destroying every part of me
only to pick up the pieces
and make me feel whole.
My sweet illusion.
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