Demeter in the Supermarket
She stalks across the parking lot
And maybe it’s a trick of light
In the heat distorted air
But it looks like she is walking above the surface.
At the cart line, she jerks one loose:
It has one stuck wheel
And another that just spins stupidly
But the rest are no better.
She begins her tour of the aisles,
A goddess among mortals
Going counterclockwise
Against traffic
Someone runs a cart up on her
Achilles tendon.
It’s enough to make a
Goddess curse.
Silencing a child’s tantrum in the cereal aisle
With one frosted look
She peruses the grains before
Settling on some nice quinoa,
Shudders through the frozen foods
(She doesn’t like the cold)
Moves inexorably toward
The produce section
And there she stays
Looking at the pomegranates
Trying to remember.
--Dan Verner
I really like this poem. When the kids were small and trips to the Ft. Belvoir commissary required strength, courage, and patience, I conquered the aisles like Demeter capturing the harvest. I had completely forgotten those trips and never thought I'd treasure the memory or consider it noble until reading your poem. Thank you for helping me remember a younger version of myself.
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