Groceries

Gold cherry

By agnosticnun

Sun, 07 Jan 2018
  • 2672 reads
11 comments
 

There are many things more depressing than grocery stores
But few of that need to be endured with such routine
Each Tuesday night, or not eat.

It’s the limp vegetables
And vegetable people sorting through bruised onions.

Then some song plays about some guy who'd been done wrong
And there I am weeping into the celery.
(And I've always been susceptible to music 
But really, brain? Nickelback?)

Now the meat. Don’t think about farms, especially not the modern kind.
Perhaps the fridged turkey can a la king into next month.

These are the ghosts of food that was more than dead to start with.

I do not like cereal
Or the way the cooking gurus encourage toast
With avocado. Who puts green things on toast? On purpose?
Does that woman eat avocado leek toast
With her kale and arugula? She looks the type.

Check out. I imagine the clerk looks with disappointment 
At the cans I stack up, but her scowl is more real
Than any of the meals I will be eating this week.

I am checked out. 

Certificate U
Poem
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I love seeing what the Inspiration Point sparks off - this is great!

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Great, wry word picture.  The Nickelback reference made me smile - we've all been there, or the equivalent.  'The vegetable people sorting through bruised onions' was a particularly striking line.  Love this interpretation of the IP.

Submitted by Kat027 on

Excellent! Enjoyed your musings on the various types of groceries that you encounter in the store. That ending line is priceless. Bravo!

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I know it is horrid and stressful when you have to keep adding it up as you go, and putting stuff back, but so long as you have enough money food shopping is such fun? Go vegan, then you won't feel guilty about meat. Shopping in the evening, everyone is tired, you, the people working there, the food. BUT you might get an amazing bargain, like a mango for 20p! Everything is an ingredient, a possibility to create something that will bring pleasure. And reduced posh bread or fruit or cheese (if you're not vegan) is TREASURE.

I enjoyed your poem very much, you made a good point about factory farms in a funny way, which I have never been able to do, and also the verse about the muzac and celery and the "I do not like cereal" are so good. A wonderful character sketch

 

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

I really enjoyed this, the aggravation of everyday life.  I'm a sucker for bargains - then forget to eat them.

Submitted by Philip Sidney on

I've got the Monday blues, and this poem sums things up so well.  It's our facebook and twitter pick of the day - do share if you like it too.

Submitted by agnosticnun on

Many thanks - I love the photo you added!

Kristi

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

An excellent interpretation of the IP, full of incisive comments.

Congratulations on the golden cherries.

Luigi x.

 

Submitted by mandylifeboats on

I like this poem: Tuesday night, wilting vegetables, inappropriate music - that's three sad things. Is it always so, Agnosticnun?

 

Submitted by agnosticnun on

Not always, but the closest grocery stores to me are a little downerish. Give me a nice farmer's market in the spring and I'm happy!

Kristi

Submitted by Stephen Thom on

Wry and full of personality. Much enjoyed. Every piece with a Nickelback reference should be automatic pick of the day in my eyes. Great work! Congrats yes