Shopping completed, almost;
The final hurdle left,
To run the gauntlet of the checkout.
Which member of staff will I have today?
I look for the shortest queue
And hope the till person is one I know,
And one with whom conversation is good;
Or non- existent.
The one today is the talker.
We start with the good mornings
And how are yous, and then she is off;
Talking nineteen to the dozen!
I try to get an edgeways
To get a word in, but no,
The gaps just aren’t there
For me to utter even one syllable.
I just pack my shopping
Trying to look interested
Out of politeness, what’s the point?
She’s not looking, she is in her own world.
The one I like is the young lady
Who greets me with the brightest of smiles.
We chat while the shopping
Passes before me and into the bags.
I know she has a young one
Whom she obviously adores;
The smile is greater when she talks
Of her child.
There is the one who talks of birds,
She feeds the birds in her garden;
But is amazed at how many sultanas I buy
To feed those in mine.
The best one of all was a man
Who I sought out week after week;
We would talk of many things;
And came to know each other well.
A five minute conversation
Which seemed to continue each week
Without interruption, but was interspersed;
With seven day gaps.
Then comes the pain!
The shopping in the bags are in the trolley,
Ready to wheel to the car;
But they won’t let me go until I have paid!
-
Author:
Goldfinch60 (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: January 2nd, 2024 02:14
- Comment from author about the poem: Just off to The Isle of Wight for a few days.
- Category: Reflection
- Views: 9
Offline)
Comments3
In some shops I take basket (with wheels on) right thorough the checkout, and pack up my bags after paying.
Occasionally, cashier says 'Please don't take basket out of the shop'. Understandable, as people leave trollies in the street, far from the shop.
Another hazard is when a new till opens, and they all dash there, and we may be left in a long queue still. We can play 'Guess which till will open'. But a little patience won't hurt us.
Could you pop in to see that prisoner on the IOW? He is being released in February - ooh!
I always tke the shopping in the trolley to the car and unload it there!
I popped in yesterday and saw him, he is fine. |LOL
Andy
Thanks Gold. Yes, I expect he is fine, as he is getting out in early Feb.
A reminder why I never use those self-service checkouts.. I am a people person and I enjoy the contact with a cashier. I like to see smiles and have a greeting when I pay for my shopping. Shopping day today. Good morning.
No I never use the self service checkout, I don't get paid for doing their work!
Andy
At the check out today at the chemist’s was a larrikin at the till. Made for a pleasant errand and a light feeling at the beginning of 2024. Happy New Year!
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