OFF MY TROLLEY
When I get home from work
On a Friday afternoon.
No time for relaxation;
I'm going shopping soon.
Down to the supermarket:
My household goods to buy.
Just the bare necessities;
Well, anyhow, I'll try.
As I collect my trolley
On entering the place,
"Incredible Bargains"
Stare me in the face.
Full of determination,
Temptation to resist,
I enter the first alley
Referring to my list.
The first thing that I notice:
The smell of new-baked bread,
Plays havoc with my senses,
Puts hunger in my head.
But then she walks towards me:
A gorgeous looking girl.
The body of a model,
Brown hair with natural curl.
And as she passes by me,
Her perfume fills the air;
Transporting me to summer
In a field somewhere.
Everywhere, the trolleys
Weaving in and out,
Put me in mind of dodgem cars
Hovering about.
A couple of alleys further on
I see that girl again.
The pendant on her necklace
Tells me her name is Jane.
As I approach the dog food,
A small boy who cannot steer
Knocks some cans down with a trolley
And his mother clips his ear.
By the time I reach the biscuits,
Jane once more comes into view.
To my surprise, she smiles at me.
Nervously, I smile too.
By the frozen foods, I see a youth:
Hair stood spiky on his head:
Leather jacket fully studded.
And I still can smell that bread.
By this time, I'm really ravenous
And ready to be fed
And though my list says only one,
I buy five loaves of bread.
Arriving at the checkout now:
My list of goodies filled;
I see Jane again, and ask her out:
She says yes, and I'm thrilled.
This only goes to show again,
In a supermarket, you
Always pick up a little more
Than you intended to.
Copyright Peter Jones 1992