Admitted Settlers

Settling for a trip to the Mall on Black Friday.

November’s end, turkey and stuffing
consumed or refrigerated, family
and friends have all gone home…
enough reason to go to the Mall,
walk the main aisle, participate
in Black Friday’s moving mass
of humanity (human contact
feeds an inner need…)   

…we wave at Santa Claus, who
surely must be lap-weary by now,
(a sudden cold snap, so I learned,
compelled him to leave the North
Pole early…) 

…no crackling leaves
are heard beneath our feet,
yet beige tile affords good traction
as we near Gloria Jeans for a coffee. 

And so we wander without care,
but soon we have to rest our backs.
We pass on chairs that massage,
and opt for some so motor-less.
Looking up, skylight suddenly
ablaze with sunlight—we are
resigned for interrogation.
Sans any questions, we
relax; this is no shop
on Broadway.  Still,
it will suffice.


28 Lines
Writer’s Cramp
11-30-19

Requirements:

—November’s end
—sudden cold snap
—crackling leaves
—interrogation
—shop on Broadway