Old by Wayne F. Burke

A log-jam at the EXIT

of the supermarket—

an elderly couple doddering

in the doorway…

A woman with cart ahead of

me: “what are they doing,” she

asks, peeved. “Plow into them,”

I say. “No, I won’t.”

A woman behind says “they

do not give a shit about

anybody.”

The white-haired codger

tugs on his missus’ sleeve as

they move, slow as cold

molasses…

The woman ahead gives me

a “look,” eyes above her

black mask. I feel like kicking her

in the ass. “They are old,” I say, but

neither woman, it is obvious, gives

a shit, old or

whatever.

Wayne F. Burke's poetry has been widely published online and in print. He has published six full-length poetry collections, most recently DIFLUCAN (BareBack Press, 2019). He lives in the Pine Tree State.