Finding Love In The All Night Grocery Poem by Jesse Weiner

in the produce section at waldbaum's, by
the avocados, I asked her, do these
feel right to you? she screamed
'I know what you're thinking! '

she grabbed two cantaloupes and held
them near her chest. they're the same
size as my breasts, feel them, are they ripe?
I did and she screamed, slapping me.

I fled, past the potatoes and onions,
my cart knocking down a display of
maxi pads. she glared at me
and threw an eggplant my way.

at the deli counter, as I ordered
a pound of marinated artichoke hearts,
she took a discarded number and
demanded immediate service.

serve me now! serve me now! let him go
to the bakery! look at his cart, notice
the cherry pop tarts in there. perverts
like him ruin shopping for the decent ones.

I'm pregnant, she spit at me. I offered congratulations,
she said, now you have to marry me. but I never slept
with you - she said, isn't that just like a man!
trying to escape on a technicality like that.