you don't think you'll find anybody in there
at 8:30 a.m.
and there I was rolling my basket along and
she blocked me off with her cart between the
cotto salami, the home made pickles and the
clerk who was stamping packages of newly-
arrived balogna. I put it in reverse and
ran through the produce section, found a
good buy on navel oranges, 10 cents a pound,
picked up some cabbage and green onions,
rolled out and to the east, she was standing
between the Bran Flakes and the Wheaties,
skirt about 3 inches above the knees and
tight-fitting. she had on a see-through blouse
with a very slight brassiere. she had fair
ankles, brown flat shoes and eyes like
Anne Hathaway used to wear when I was a kid.
she smelled like cherry blossoms and olive
pits and she swayed. 36 years old and unhappy
in marraige, her basket was still empty. I
pushed past. her eyes had been a pale mad blue,
staring. all the meats were high. I found 2
day-old spencer steaks and one sirloin steak
marked-down, so I took those, got a dozen
medium eggs, and there she was in the frozen
vegetable section, the mad blue eyes more
stricken than ever and looking into mine, I
lowered my head and pushed past and as I did
she managed to brush her rump against my
flank, I got some frozen peas, some baby limas,
I got through the bread section alone, decided
my shopping was done, got in the checkout line
and was standing there when I felt a leg
pressed against mine from ankle to waist, I
stood silent smelling the cherry blossoms and
olive pits as she lit a cigarette. I took my
bag and walked to the parking lot and got into
my car and started it, backed out, turned to the
south and there she was in front of me, swaying
and smiling and staring. she danced back and
forth in front of my bumper, bending at the
hips, flaunting her ass, whirling; one breast
got loose in the see-through blouse, my car
stalled and I had to watch her climb into her's,
hiking her skirt very high, full fat thighs,
flashes of pink petticoat, I got out of there,
got back in my breakfast nook, left the groceries
on the table, got it out in the bathroom, beat
off in a minute and 30 seconds, then walked
back to the breakfast nook, took the things out
of the bag and started putting them away.

© Frank Silvanski