shopping lists

i've started writing shopping lists 
for other people as a hobby. 

i observe them as they 
pass me in the store think 

"eggs" "baby food" "99% lean ground beef"
"dog food in bulk" "non-fat milk" "grape juice"

i jot these lists in my notepad &
collect them like portraits

this one is of the woman with three kids 
all begging for a different kind of cereal

she's just thinking of honeydew &
slicing one into pieces over the sink.

i found someone else's shopping list
in my cart a few months ago & the first 

thing on it was "chicken" underlined
with an exclamation point. the rest of

the vegetables that followed were 
in cursive, all dainty as if someone

was singing "celery" & "carrots 2"
as they wrote. i keep the list 

in the back of my wallet because 
i'm the only one who's supposed 

to be making lists for people. 
what were they thinking? i stand

at the entrance to the store & start
handing people their lists as they enter.

i know it's rude but i can see what
they want. if someone were to look at me

i mean really stare at me, they'd
probably see that i want to buy 

caramel apple dip & canned sweet potatoes.
i've never bought either of those things

in all my life but i want to. 
i think that my lists could help people.

they'd read it & think "i do want 
green tomatoes, i've wanted them for

so long." & "my mother used to buy
cannolis, i haven't thought of them in years."

at night as the store dies down i spend
my free time making lists for people 

i miss. i think of you & i write
"boston cream donuts" & "celery root."

i think of dad & i write
"doritos" & "plain bagels."

what would grandmom's list have looked like?
maybe "frankfurts" & "pastrami"

i tear them off the notepad &
fold them in half before tossing them

into the parking lot. you all 
won't find them here at a supermarket

hundreds of miles away. but i imagine
you picking the list up by happenstance

one day & wondering how someone 
could see so deeply that you want

out of this life.