Left the workplace in a hurry
You'd received a call shortly before lunch and you seemed nervous after
You left food in the break room refrigerator which is very out of character
You proceeded to speed down 787 which is not at all out of character
But when you arrive home you decided to keep the car rolling
You parked in the supermarket parking lot a few blocks away and listened to public radio
The station was doing a fun-drive and it was annoying
There was snow on the ground but it was about a week old
And in upstate New York, that makes the snow the same colour as the shitty,, winter sky
Things were really bleak
The heat in your car makes your lips dry so you go into a supermarket
It's a low end grocery store and the shelves are poorly stocked
All the packaged food was unhealthy and all the fruit looks bad
You walk around for almost 10 minutes looking for an avocado before you realise this market doesn't carry avocados
You settle for a packet of corn chips and a can of chili
Then you realise you needed a can opener
It's ok, you needed one for the house anyway
In the checkout line you listen to a couple talk about their child like he's a termite infestation
They seem to wanna go home even less than you do
You left your car in the lot and walk to the park
It's mostly homeless people but one mother is trying to get her child to enjoy the terrible snow
You feel embarrassed opening the can of chili but then realise the company you're in and decide it doesn't matter
After you dump your chili into the bag of corn chips you realise you don't have a fork
For a desperate moment, you consider using a stick but ultimately decide to go without utensils
By the time you're done you should be embarrassed
Your face and your coat are stained with chili
The phone starts to ring but your fingers are so messy you hesitate to pick it up
When you see who called, you're glad you missed it
The mother and her miserable, cold child seem to be judging you
You spend the rest of the night walking around
You realise your phone's dead when you attempt to call a friend for a place to stay, so you return to your car
The supermarket's still open but it's just you and the employees now
You buy some wet wipes
For a time you debate sleeping in your car
It's now too late to call anyone
So you go home
It takes a long time for you to open the door
And when you do