Daydreaming in aisle five
toothpaste and shampoo
silent sparkling commerce
air conditioned
red arrows on scuffed white tile
a guide in the labyrinth
whole aisles are wastelands
handwritten signs: OUT OF STOCK
no one looks at me
not masked employees
shuffling
ignoring everyone
afraid
not shoppers
some unmasked
aggressive
center-of-the-universe
others kind, warm
smiling behind masks
at the absurdity
a blackbird loops above the bakery
scouting crumbs
I’ve been here too long
they don’t have what I need
back in the car I
sanitize
mask down
never dreamed I’d need
masks for my family
through deserted streets
atomic sunlight
paranoid and guilty
for what I might now carry
truthfront 