Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Donal Mahoney writes

Janet at the Megastore

Don’t recall meeting 
a human being 
at the megastore 
staffed by robots 
in the flesh 
except for Janet 
at the register 
in her 80s if a day 
who wouldn’t retire.

The manager knew better 
than to let her go because  
customers came to hear 
Janet declare what’s on sale 
and point to the aisle 
where everything was  
and have her hand them 
coupons at the register   
if they forgot to bring them.

Never met a customer 
who could remember 
when Janet wasn’t 
at the register 
making people smile. 
She trained replacements 
to ring things up 
but it’s tough to teach 
someone texting friends 
and chewing gum how 
to talk to strangers.

1 comment:

  1. "Megastore" is a newish word, and lexicographers are not yet in agreement over its meaning. All of the dictionaries define it a "a large store." Some of them leave it at that, but the ones who expand on that definition do so inconsistently. Some emphasize that it is a large store with a variety of products, and others that it is a large store that specializes in a particular type of product, such as computers.

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