8/5
Sonnets From Other Lives: Tia & Ty

The kid keeps screaming.  Tia's had enough.
Shoppers start to give her the stink-eye.
She gets in his face--tells him to shut up.
He just breaks out in a louder cry.
The wants a "tookie"?  That's just too damn bad.
He's lucky that he gets to eat at all.
He should know better than to make her mad.
He arches--throws himself & nearly falls
out of the cart.  She grabs some frozen peas
and cursing--throws them on the TV dinners.
Seething.  She knows goddamn well that she's
the one that will come out of this the winner .
But after that one time at Walmart
she knows to wait to get him in the car.