I Ambled Through Stop 'N Shop Supermarket Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn
enjoying a camaraderie
with the jolly folks
buying stuff for
the great Thanksgiving feast to come.
On line with sweet potatoes and Splenda
my contribution
for my sister’s dinner
I picked up Vanity Fair
featuring Kate Moss on the cover
and indicating they’d tell all about
her sad tale of coke addiction—
$4.95 added to my bill.
Of course as soon as I got home
I flipped the pages to the expose
but just then the phone rang.
Steve D said, “Bernstein, I almost
sold a few of your photographs.”
“Without you
I’m done for! ” I said
hoping to spur him on to actually
selling one of my pictures.
“Don’t count on me
count on yourself.”
“But I only signed your contract
so I wouldn’t
have to count on myself.”
“C’mon. c’mon, Bernstein
this is wisdom I’m giving you.”
I turned a page
and blurted out, “What planet
do these people live on? ”
“Huh? ”
“Vanity Fair—
nothing but big cash
and beautiful women.”
“You have to love your life
to live your life, ” he said.
“Drinking again? ”
“Sunday...a little...”
“And you just got a massage.”
‘The best, Bernstein, the best.”
“Aren’t you the least bit
perturbed
you have no big cash
and no beautiful woman.”
“You have to love your life
to live your life.”
I continued to turn the pages
then stopped and stared at a watch
costing $6,299.
“Plenty of watches in this magazine
Movado, Ebel, TagHeuer
diamonds also, Cartier, De Beers,
and booze, and high-priced dresses,
and endless ads for perfume
sporting fantasy names.”
“Think you’d be happy, Bernstein,
with big cash
and beautiful women? ”
“Can’t imagine big cash
can’t imagine beautiful women
can’t imagine happiness, ” I replied.
Persistent this fellow:
“You have to love your life
to live your life.”