On a Past Lover

Mark Cabasino

I found this last one on a cereal box--
she said she was more than she was...
I am shopping with a hand-held cart this time;
I tell myself "I do not want to love
anything more than can fit in this cart,"
and I am shopping slowly and with caution--
I left my list at home, list the list
of daily minimum woman requirements
I think it went something like
water eggs milk bananas concern
(also meat, so long as it fits
in the little cart, otherwise no)--
and I am shopping slowly and with care,
and then I see her on a cereal box
box the cereal box I never buy
because it's too small and comes with sugar
and it still costs $4.19 when I can buy
economy Cheerios and get 7 bowls out of it instead of 4
so why am I still looking at it?
the box the cereal box I never look at
only this time it says
in big letters on the front
FREE INSIDE
so I buy it and I take it home
and I taste it and it tastes like cardboard
and I burrow in the box hunting for the FREE INSIDE
and I take the whole plastic bag out
and all I have is an empty cardboard box
and cereal with sugar,
and then I notice the fine print
fine like the line between
I think I got one!
I think I got one!
and aw throw it back it's just nothing
fine line the fine print that tells me
FREE!

with 3 UPC symbols and $2.95 shipping and handling fees...
I found this last one on a cereal box--
she said she was more than she was.