Wednesday 18 October 2017

Susan

I have stood in this lineup
countless times, 
counting 
and recounting items 
in the red plastic basket,
making chitchat with cashiers,
harping about politicians,
whining about the weather;
some are cheerleader types,
some cheeky,
some have zero cheer;
I steer my cart clear of those
and find the one
whose light is always on,
a beacon to the burdened
with a sympathetic ear,
the one who knows my name
but still she calls me Dear;
she works hard 
for the pittance she's paid,
is, herself, double bagged 
by the end of the day
but from where I stand,
she is the best source
of loyalty, rewards,
hands down
and I can count on her,
to fill me up 
with good things:
encouraging words,
gifts of thoughtfulness,
warmest of hugs;
her name tag reads: Susan
which means lily,
a tall fragrant bloom
and that she is,
standing out 
like a bouquet
in a lackluster room;
as friends go,
and they do,
she is more
than I bargained for
when I entered her queue     
---
October 6, 2017

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