I'm lightening up today, offering up a poem (I think) that I wrote for an assignment when I participated in the University of Iowa MOOC writer's class. Let me know if you can relate!

Baggage—or Not

I forgot the bags, again.

There’s a note on the dashboard,

“DON’T FORGET THE BAGS!”

But I was distracted,

And now I’m in air conditioning

Pushing a cart, reading my list, and wondering

Should I go back to the car?

On the floor in the back seat are bags—

From Publix, from Fresh Market,

From Whole Foods and Target.

There’s one from a posh store in Virginia,

From a visit to friends who lived there,

A turquoise bag from a vacation in Maine,

And one with whales from Alaska.

There’s a nice one from Trader Joe’s

With compartments for bottles of wine.

There are two with bright green and white stripes

That keep frozen foods from melting.

Some have long straps that fit over the shoulder,

But most can be carried by hand.

Several are made of strange crinkly fabric,

Some made of cotton and canvas.

Many of them are Polypropylene

Which is basically recycled plastic.

But they’re all in the car

And I’m in the store.