Most only look for the exits
when the are ready to leave the store.
Those more anxious and insecure
look for the exits as soon as they arrive.
Others block the exits to keep shoppers inside.
The most hateful stand in the way
intimidating and bullying shoppers to stay.
The media reports no progress is being made;
shoppers are worried, stagnant and afraid.
It reports the bullies’ lies and stance
as if justified and true, asking trapped shoppers
to reply as if such obstruction is the rule.
Do those who own the store, own the media, too?
Some shoppers try to reason with those blocking the door.
Most, see what happens to those who seek egress
and stand silent, waiting, hoping for any progress.
Shoppers thought they were free within the store
to buy what they want and need, and then leave
to find a better store where new and better goods
were finding their way to shelves,
at prices more shoppers could afford.
Silently, too many acquiesce to the bondage
they now face, hunkering down in the aisles
hoping they can outlast doorways to a future
blocked to keep them in the past.
What happens when the stock becomes too low
to sustain the people waiting in the aisles?
Will silence fill their bellies and their souls?
How can any business survive
such a cowardly enterprise?
How do we reach those trapped inside?
How do we help move shoppers into the future?
By opening barred doors wide
and pushing MAGA blockers aside.
annarino writes 