Among the boxes bright and bold

Among the boxes, bright and bold,

sugary flakes, a story untold.

I stood there, lost, or just observed,

my presence, somehow, unreserved.

The hum of lights, the freezer's drone,

a sudden weight, deeply known.

Why this aisle, why this day,

why am I even in the way?

My reflection in the glossy pack

showed someone staring, looking back.

No real reason, no grand plan,

just a grocery cart and a grocery man.

Or woman. Me. Just me.

Breathing air, for all to see.

And the cart was empty, still.

What to do? Just stand, or fill?