October at the Grocer's

and so 

it was just one of those 

full moon days when the loonies 

were out and  busy practicing their looniness

so, so, so

be bold if you want to

do more than  think about 

kicking the butt of the horrible 

woman next to you in the ten item line

the one who  is sneering  and  loudly 

counting your eleven items, twice 

be kinder than you want to be,

no kicking.

be wise as a serpent 

be  gentle as a dove

take the 2 oranges out of her 

clenched fists and begin juggling 

them, concentrate very hard 

until the oranges

become  bumblebees, 

that flitter and buzz and dive bomb

before settling into the nest 

of her witchy hair

there to make sweet honey

of  her frazzled life.

and that man who insists 

on throwing outrageous numbers 

into his cell phone. holding captive 

the deli line with his million dollar deal

give him a necklace of linked sausages, 

bratwurst would be best, 

and dance him down the aisles

until he promises never to use in public

the words merger or stock shares

ever, ever  again, 

and heads for produce 

doing a soft shoe.

take the little boy in the giant red 

shopping car that is crashing 

against cartons  and over feet

and place his harassed  mother's hand 

in his and count to ten 

 they will  next be seen 

 flying over Aspen 

singing about  golden leaves

and having more than enough time

for everything under the sun

invite the irritable  butcher to lay down

his knife and stuff himself 

full of candy corn and licorice 

until he becomes a  large round

Halloween pumpkin,

winning 1st place in the show,

before retiring to the garden 

of a family of five, 

whose youngest child 

and he laugh, great jolly  laughs 

that burst across the sky

and are often found 

giggling  into the falling twilight.

the soul is here for its own joy 

the poet said

help it happen daily 

at a grocery store near you.