No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service

"the customer's always right"

They seem incapable 

of being capable, of 

taking in what was said

and processing the words

into any recognizable form

that might serve the purpose

for which they've been employed.

I could feel the anger rising,

theirs-mine as we danced

around the simplest of urges,

a straight-forward hand off

of currency for goods received,

exchange of smiles, have a good day

on my way. But no,

it seems they're incapable

of being capable, of 

taking in what's said

and post-haste delivering

anything I order.

Ketchup and gravy

on a baked crab,

three squirts of mustard,

a pint of rye, no ice,

straight, slightly tempered

down the side, a screw

that fits my size.

God Damn, why can't I

get some service?

Maybe it's time I switched

over to the Baptists.

Ken e Bujold

2022

Reviews

[W. Barrett Munn]

Terrific piece. Title reminds me of Wallace Stevens No Sop, No Taters, No Possum.
But I don’t think he was Baptist. :-)

Winston

[Ken e Bujold]

neither am I, though I dated one once, for six days, by Saturday I was fairly certain the seventh day was going to be a bit much :)

[Chris]

A person after my own heart! Isn't it grand(e) to see the -isms at play?

[Ken e Bujold]

it is. one of my wife's fav saying about me is, in reply to people asking her how she puts up with such a grumpy old fart "he's only grumpy when he leaves the house"

[Chris]

Much better than being "grumpy" when you get back - ya know.