suddenly stopped smiling. again.

*****

yesterday
i took the trouble
to complement you
on your beautiful
smile

with which you have favored me
for weeks now
at every meeting
in the store
in which you work

today
you avoid my glance
completely

let’s see…
why has it happened
this time?

employer disapproval?

personal disapproval?

did i voice an opinion
in this free country?

what was the last one?

oh, yes,
I remember:

so, is it you
who lets your man beat on you,
or your boss
who makes it a habit
to do so himself at home?

if it were possible
to live without shopping altogether
i would leave the merchants
of Arcata, CA
in their own

filth

*****

Among us, poets are not paid. The poet/editor of this website, being physically disabled, lives at a fraction of her nation’s poverty level. Become a patron of the fine arts at: https://www.gofundme.com/are-you-a-patron-of-the-arts