Dear Editor

Poem to the Editor for TOP January 3, 2008

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Dear Editor

Yesterday, as I was standing
in line at the IGA,

thinking only about
getting home after work,

I was delayed
while waiting.

Ahead of me
was a woman

with two young children
and a shopping cart

full of macaroni
and cheese, chips,

soda, Hamburger Helper,
Wonder bread, TV dinners.

There wasn’t an apple,
banana, or carrot in sight.

The hold-up was because
she couldn’t find her welfare

credit card.
The kids squabbled,

she pawed through her purse.
Finally, she found it

and I prepared to check out.
But, no, another delay.

I had to wait
while she purchased

beer, wine, and cigarettes.
She took out dollar

bills for that.
It was zero degrees.

One child had no hat.
The other had on

just a sweatshirt.
She lit up a smoke

as soon as she got outside
while I took out

my hard-earned money
to pay for her groceries.