Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Judging in line at the supermarket




She dressed in mourning, eyes sunken
to past years when work, family,
life's anticipations skipped to now.
Life all but gone, so sick
she searches for fruit from heaven's vine. Sadly,
it's taking so long,
but patiently she waits, in pain.
I think.

Another woman hums as she fondles
bundles and sticks of lies, promises unfulfilled
clogging her mind, her pores, her sink.
Hair, once belonging to another,
faux waves beautifully cascading
on shriveled shoulders attempting
Grace,
that not so gracefully disappeared,
into timeless wrinkles, impossible to hide.
But she tries, and looks horrific,
I think.

Two boys scramble, screaming
for candy their mother blindly provides,
after she finds her own favorite kind
intoxicating, concealing, secrets
inside enormous ripples of flesh, hurting
from empty substance that erupts upon
her kids, rotund but hungry for Old McDonald's
happy foods. America's youth, growing.
I think.

Young man rushes through aisles, seeking.
He finds
his baby's food in sugar jars, nutritious
crayon colored bargains, painting future
sweet. Parenting's easy
when food's sold 2 for 1.
He pays, turns, displays,
bloody crimson, "Kill",
written on shirt, stolen
from Goodwill.
I think.

Judging lives is easy, from perspective
of my line, nose high above others,
ignorant, troubled.
Gratefully, I'm unlike them,
tragedies so few, youthful still,
not yet obese, children perfectly polite,
and skinny too,
no money... problems, stable mind,
devoid of violence, mostly kindness,
compassion fills my time.
You think?

(Submitted to DVerse Poets.)

10 comments:

  1. there's poetry in supermarkets..smiles.. and you're a careful observer myrna..i like the place you come to in the end... we tend to see the bad things in others, to compare and are happy when we look better...all too human..and compassion, real compassion is way too rare in this world...you got a good heart, i know it...smiles

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  2. you captured the scene and perception of people in the grocery line very well ~

    perfect life? there is no such thing ~

    http://a-sweetlust.blogspot.com/2012/01/honour.html

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  3. we package our world in our preprocessed thought...somethings are disturbing though...the dad with kill on his shirt...out of place...others though are judgements we have bought when sold to us...nice write...smiles.

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  4. You sure brought life to the supermarket, I guess it truly does abound there. I'm more of a get in get out, those lines can be painful though, nice capture.

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  5. Myrna, what can I say about this? You always leave me speechless, which is VERY hard to do! :D

    I think you should start entering poetry contests, because your words are too good to just be "given away" like this.

    Have a wonderful week!

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  6. Judgment arises so easily...our minds just do that...I don't think it is so much intentional meanness as it is a way we try to make sense of our place in the world...still when judgment arises we can allow it to be a reminder to be kinder and offer blessings to those we meet.

    Please stop by my blog, I have something waiting there for you:-)

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    Replies
    1. You are such a brilliant poet. My God, Myrna, do you have any idea how good you are?

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  7. This is excellent, touching!


    Warm Aloha from Waikiki
    Comfort Spiral

    > < } } ( ° >

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  8. Excellent judgement of characters Myrna. The waiting in line can be time consuming and frustrating!

    Hank

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  9. Good observations and what else is the re to do when standing in line? I often find myself drifting into my very own dreamworld. I like the way you have put that together.

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