b-kwik

spikes click across Imperial tile
running through b-kwik
sweaty hair
football gear

tore-up turf trailing behind
grabbing milk
grabbing bread

priced for convenience
priced
for the working class

sometimes at checkout
a snuck treat

dad waits in the car
window down
KB on the radio
in the strip plaza
sited to block competition
since the Super Duper exploded
under suspicious circumstances

bricks blown for blocks on Mother’s Day
as the family business succumbed to market forces

we head home with what we need
oblivious to the desperation
that drove a son to arson

when he finally had to admit
there was no longer space
for a six aisle grocery


© 2018-19 Brian Brown-Cashdollar