Queen of the Supermarket
I missed the devil
who lived in the freezer aisle
because I only saw the beauty on the shelves
of bottles
boxes
and canned etceteras and obscurities
expiration dates are just a suggestion
of a worse outcome than this
there are no ice cubes here
I can see only liquids
and puddles of a melted list
the tiles make my joints ache
and we shuffle
from square to square
somehow missing the devil’s feet
how did I avoid this mess
the last time
my left pinky was in better shape
and I knew how to steer
unknown waters and slippery whatnots
slower and calmer and colder
than before
my teeth chatter and thaw
illustration by Happy Burbeck
