Randomness of an Evening at Barnes and Noble

Coffee aroma
Worn and tired
Odd alternative music
Brokenness
Pain and apprehension
Sadness, overwhelming sadness
Heartache beyond comprehension
Losing faith
The Grapes of Wrath hang over my head
Dangling precariously
Boy with the blue tongue smiles
As father relaxes in the easy chair
Reading not absorbing

“Bring me a chilled water,” says the pretentious woman
Light jazz fosters a peaceful atmosphere
Intercom breaks the peace
Man finds wife perusing the Sexuality section and ponders the attraction
She checking the box entitled steamy sex games
She does not need it, replaces it on the shelf
Stands closer as he peruses a book of his own
Her arms wrap his waist
She needs no further encouragement
She shows him a title or two, and she giggles
The boy disappears into the children’s section
The woman giggles again.
The boy returns new books in hand
Indian man tinkers with his book seemingly distracted
Reads and re-reads page one
Tall man in the striped shorts chats with a lanky brunette who sips her iced coffee
Employees shush the Chatty Kathys

Other Thoughts