Had to make a run to the store
to pick up a few essential items for my wife and me
Handkerchief covering half my mug
Sanitizer in tow, I felt like a cleanly bandit
Wiped down the shopping cart,
Entered through that automatic door, like a game of Operation
The gargantuan grocery complex seemed colder than usual,
emptied of product and people
Half-empty shelves in Meat & Poultry
Blighted isles in Toilet Paper & Paper Towel
Price gouging goblins, capitalizing on consumer dependency
Dozen eggs for six bucks
Three oranges for five
Corporate courtesy, staying open for us folks
Government kickback? Most likely
They care about us, sure they do
Like a butcher cares for a pig on the chopping block
They’re only viable if we squeal a little bit
I’m checking out now,
but I’ll be back, got no choice
Cashier packed my produce with gloves on
and paused to cough, head in shoulder
Better get home and scramble these eggs before I crack
