by JeFF Stumpo

Tonight you are bagging groceries. You drop in a loaf of bread, reach for the next item, see an identical loaf of bread. You think it might be the same loaf. The bag is empty. You put the loaf in the bag, look up, see it again. The cashier is ringing up more items. The line is getting longer. You reach for something else, find a loaf of bread in your hand. You put it in the bag. The bag is empty. People are piling up on each other like they’re on a conveyer belt. They’re angry at you. You smash the loaf into the bag. The bag is empty. The manager is perpetually walking towards you. You are paid by the hour. Your watch flickers between now and a minute ago. Everything is moving. Nothing is changing.