A crumpled grocery list
with salmon crossed out
paper towels and tissues
circled with a question mark
found in a lightweight
jacket along with honey lemon
menthol cough drops sugar free
a pair of black leather gloves
and one of many tape measures
The tissues were on sale again
three boxes wrapped together
leaving me no choice
but to bring the bunch home to
more of the same loud boxes
so gaudy, so garish, exaggerated
colors more suited to spring or
summer sniffles before flu shots,
flu season when all Fall down
Breaks to the bone, to the blood
dead chickens for salty broth
good neighbors and bad alike
sobbing uncontrollably, prayers
to sweet Jesus going unanswered
Please leave me alone
I cannot hear any of you
because four out of six
tissue boxes are sobbing
so loudly I must do something
IN