Pushing the cart far behind
by Michael Estabrook

In the supermarket with her,
pushing the cart,
slipped far behind,
when suddenly
a classy, attractive, younger woman
is pushing her cart past me
beaming the biggest, sweetest smile –
you hear about people meeting
in supermarkets, but, me?

Later I mention the incident
to my wife, about
the classy, attractive, younger woman
beaming the biggest, sweetest smile at me,
admitting it made me feel good
inside, but confused. I don’t know why
she did it, but my wife knows:
“She probably thought you worked there.”
Great, just great, thanks. Exactly
what my weary and aging ego
needed to hear.