Twenty-three minutes That's what the sign says Cool Love that for me Lady in front has six things Should be quick She has coupons Physical coupons Oh no Behind me Somebody's kid is kicking the cart Kick Kick Kick Phone says twelve percent Nothing loading Of course I look at the ceiling White Ugly Existing Twenty-two minutes I consider becoming smoke Just pfffft Gone Smoke probably doesn't have insurance Good career move Kick Kick Kick I turn around Little mad Kid's maybe seven Not kicking anymore He's staring under the cart Hard Then crouches Mom says "Get up" "Mom" "What?" "There's a beetle" She looks "I don't see anything" "Right there" Now I'm looking Goddammit There is Tiny black beetle walking underneath a shopping cart "Don't touch it" "I wasn't" His hand is absolutely moving toward it "Boy" Hand retreats International language He looks at me "You see it?" "Yeah" "What kind is it?" Why the fuck would I know? I look closer "Black" He's disappointed Fair My scientific career ends early Guy behind me leans over "Ground beetle" Oh We have faculty Kid lights up "How do you know?" "Used to collect bugs" "When?" "When I was your age" Kid looks at him "You stopped?" Pause "Yeah" "Why?" There it is Tiny little crowbar Why? Guy looks down "I don't know" Kid nods Beetle keeps walking No idea it reopened a forty-year-old case Line moves Three feet Huge day Kid follows the beetle Mom follows kid Guy behind me says "I had this blue one once" Kid spins around "Blue?" "Metallic blue" "Where is it now?" "Man, I don't know" Kid thinks "Might still be alive" Guy smiles "Nah" "How do you know?" This kid doesn't let shit go "Beetles don't live forty years" "Some turtles do" "That's true" "So why can't beetles?" Guy opens his mouth Closes it "Good question" Kid kneels again Mom: "Please get off the floor" "I'm looking" "I know" "I can't see it from up there" Oh Line moves Five feet We're flying now Phone buzzes Ten percent I put it away Didn't check There's a woman two lines over holding yellow flowers One stem bent She straightens it Falls Straightens Falls Finally she lets it hang Looks better Huh Conveyor belt squeaks Squeak Squeak Kid matches it "Beep" Squeak "Beep" His mom tries not to laugh Loses Guy behind me: "Beep" Kid lights up I don't I have dignity Squeak "...beep" Fuck Now we're all idiots Coupon lady turns We stop She turns back Squeak Kid whispers "Beep" I almost choke Twenty-three minutes is apparently a long time depending what you're measuring We move Kid says "It's gone" Everybody looks Beetle disappeared Kid's sad For maybe two seconds Then "Mom, why are bananas curved?" Jesus Christ Mom says "I don't know" Bug guy raises both hands "Not my department" Kid looks at me Absolutely not "So they fit in banana holsters" He stares "That's not true" "Then why'd you ask me?" He thinks "Maybe they grow toward the sun" Bug guy checks his phone "He's right" Of course Seven-year-old just peer-reviewed me My turn Cashier says "Sorry about the wait" I look behind me Kid's inspecting the wheels now Bug guy beside him Mom smiling Yellow-flower woman walks past Bent stem bouncing Squeak I almost say It's fine Instead "It got interesting" Cashier looks at me "What did?" I look back Kid and bug guy are crouched beside the cart No idea why "The wait" She looks at the line Then at me Possible I've been here too long Receipt prints Outside Sun's obnoxiously bright Same parking lot Same cars Coffee cup on a curb Ants found it Running laps around the lid I stop Not long Just enough Guy passes "You okay?" "Yeah" I point "Ants" He looks "Oh" Keeps walking Fair I crouch anyway Not because I've become a better person Not because every moment is secretly beautiful Some moments still suck Some lines are just lines But apparently there are things you can't see from up there And I've spent a lot of time up there Phone buzzes Nine percent Leave it in my pocket Ant carries something three times its size Drops it Turns around Tries again I don't know where it's going Maybe that's okay I stand Three steps Stop Turn back Just once Little bastard's still going Cool Keep going.
