Outlet malls on a clear, cool Saturday afternoon
Are awash with feverish customers
Convinced it’s not too early for Christmas shopping
Nor too late for a bargain
Entering ‘Old Navy’ quickly ended the dream of a quick stop
Four check out lines wound around
Three aisles with each customer seemingly hell bent
On finishing their Christmas shopping TODAY
Immediately I began to plead my case
That there was not enough time to wait in the checkout line
Even promised a quick stop at Target to get whatever was needed
Or even more money was offered for an online purchase
But the prices were too low for my logic too overcome
The anticipated nightmare of an endless line
Sulking I began to analyze the composition of the line
Chatting Mother’s and daughter’s
Teenage girls with a grandmother in tow
Girlfriends of varied ages just flat out having a wonderful time
Even an occasional guy, who knows why
But then square in the middle of the line
An older fellow, okay what’s old?
His face spelt his age
He knew the agony he had fallen into
His place in line was dictated
By the one still shopping in the store
He was the PLACE holder
Yes he was in Purgatory
With really no heaven in sight
Glancing furtively
Hoping his pain would be relieved
By the return of his companion
She then would take his place
Allowing him to maybe rest
Twenty maybe twenty five minutes
Had past since I began my vigil of the line
When I learned the man’s name
“John, John’, a woman called to him
“Come on, come on they don’t have what I want
Let’s go”
John looked around for witnesses
To the injustice he had just endured
Waiting in line for nothing
Oh the life of a pawn
FXC 11/3/2019
Copyright
