Shopping at Walmart

Purse over my arm,
List in hand,
I walked through the frigid air
To the Walmart entrance.
I wiped the handle of the cart
With nearby wet disinfectant paper
Poking from the grey tower of wipes.

The store bustled with fast moving shoppers.
Babies, swaddled in their infant seats
Balancing on shopping carts,
Gawked at blinking Christmas lights,
Sparkling trees, shelves stuffed
With dazzling red cellophane wrapped perfume sets,
Lip balm flavor collections, cherry, apple, peach,
And barrette assortments, glittering
With multicolor jewels.

Focus on my list I said to myself.
I spied a bright green can of cocoa I needed,
Followed by bananas, and blueberries.
Sprinkles for cookies I would make
Were nowhere in sight.

My cart, with one wobbly wheel
Wanted to twist to the left
Up and down the aisles.
The sign said “Baking,” but no sprinkles.
Getting In 5000 steps,
I found the sprinkles,
Piled beside gingerbread mix, ribbon candy,
And chocolate reindeer
In the middle of the main drag of the store.

Yes, this store is a drag. I am dragging this
Buggy with the trembling wheel.
Next on my list, a special moisturizer.
No luck. Stepped up to the pharmacy counter
To ask where it was.
The technician, with long green and red nails,
Opened a thick black spiral book.

A woman screamed
Somewhere deep in the store
Over my left shoulder.

Everything stopped
As if turned to cement.
Frozen.

I held my breath,
Fists clenched.
Hide?
Run?

Again, the scream came.

Pharmacy tech motionless,
Whispered to me, “I know where to hide.
You can come too. We had the drill.”
Behind me a woman, straining to hear,
Enveloping her arms around her toddler
Kneeled. Was she praying?

And then we heard:
“Ruff, Ruff, Ruff,” came
The high-pitched bark.
Someone had stepped
On, or run over, a small dog’s tail.

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