A Loaf, a Gallon and a Gun

She needed bread and milk,          
so pulled into the parking lot
of the Soopers on her way
home from work.

It wouldn’t take long to grab
these items and go through
the express checkout.  She
wanted to get home, to let her dog out,

to see her partner and hear
about his day, to kick off
her shoes, toss her bra,
pour a glass of wine, and relax.

She stepped from her car,
masked up for safety,
grabbed a cart in the lot,
glanced at the store’s window ads.

Maybe she’d marinate on-sale chicken,
grill legs and thighs, add butternut squash.
As the store doors swung open,
she completed her dinner menu.

Unmasked and unhinged,
a stranger released the safety and
fired his automatic weapon,
only anger and killing on his menu.

Sheryl Guterl
3/24/21