Hi by Wayne F. Burke

A woman in the

grocery store says

"Hi!" And I say

"hi," and she gives

me a funny look, and

I realize she is

speaking to the clerk 

behind the counter:

"I thought you were

talking to me," I say

but she doesn't reply:

too busy talking to the 

guy behind the counter.

I buy a copy of the

useless local newspaper

and walk out to sidewalks

that do not recognize me

either.

Wayne F. Burke's poetry and prose has been widely published in print and online (including in THE RYE WHISKEY REVIEW). He was nominated for a Pushcart by THE DOPE FIEND DAILY in 2022. He lives in Vermont (USA).