Charles Bukowski
A Close Call While Shopping
Pushing my cart through the supermarket
Today
The thought passed through my mind
That I could start
Knocking cans from the shelves and
Also rolls of towels, toilet paper
Silver foil
I could throw oranges, bananas, tomatoes
Through the air, I could take cans of
Beer from the refrigerated section and
Start gulping them, I could pull up
Women's skirts, grab their asses
I could ram my shopping cart through
The plate-glass window...

Then another thought occurred to me:
People generally consider something
Before they do it

I pushed my cart along...

A woman in a checkered skirt was
Bending over the pet food section
I seriously considered grabbing her
Ass
But I didn't, I rolled on
By
I had the items I needed and I rolled
My cart up to the checkout stand
A lady in a red smock with a nameplate
On
Awaited me
The nameplate indicated her as
"Robin."

Robin looked at me: "how you doing?"
She asked

"fine," I told her

And then she began tabulating my
Purchases
Not in the least knowing that
The fellow standing there before her
Had just two minutes ago been
One grab from the
Madhouse