weird experience at grocery store
i tasted a black grape
i would have tasted a green one and a red one too
but a store employee saw me and gave me the evil eye
then i saw him watching me in another area of the store

when i was in the fourth grade my teacher said it wasn't stealing to sample the merchandise

it was just one grape

could i get arrested for shoplifting?
even though I bought the bag I sampled?
did i really deserve all that scrutiny?

the checker called me hon, and she was probably 30 years younger than me

there was a pretty young girl welcoming everyone to the store
and it wasn't walmart

there was a strong sense of authoritarianism in the store tonight
some of the employees acted like prison guards rationing goods
as if the people there were so lucky to get to buy food

and there was a lot less food available than usual

this new thing about bringing your own bag to save the planet
but a cloth bag costs fifty cents and a paper bag costs ten?!?!?!

i spent enough to get three free bags, but she would only let me have one
you spend $25 and you get free bag
I spent $75
they only give away one bag per trip
you have to burn gasoline and make three trips to get three bags
i only needed two
and she was so surprised
after calling me hon
that i had one in my purse
oh how she praised that like a second grade school teacher
she really likes customers who bring their own bags
it was creepy
i imagine she has been trained to praise people for bringing bags
but maybe not

i bet none of the store employees know that food is a luxury
you don't need it to live
i bet they wouldn't even believe it
and try fasting
to find out...

and i am such a sinner for tasting the
grapes to decide which color i like best

this world is sick
there should have been samples

grape thief
is me