my cashier  was paula
when i was checking out at the grocery store
a few saturdays ago

paula asked me how my day was going,
which was night by then
i asked paula how hers was going

soon paula brought up the hot weather
and how she liked it, but the only time she went outside
was to go on a smokebreak

her doctor put her on vitamin d suppliments
because she hadn't gotten enough vitamin d
or sun

because everytime she went out on her smoke break
she was wearing her black sun visor and her black half zip
and her black pants
always covered up

paula also told me she didn't drink enough water
her doctor had told her she had to drink 16 ounces
of water for every cup of coffee she drank
because coffee dries you out