Gripping the cart, knuckles white with fear <br />He gazed what seemed a mile of aisle <br />Cases stacked full with dreamy whipped <br />Flavor on flavor of cool refreshing <br />Ice Cream! <br /> <br />Bowing his head <br />He bolted across the floor <br />Not daring to look on left or right <br />His feet breezing like Hermes across <br />The linoleum with oh! such a <br />Slide at the finish. <br /> <br />But just as he made the turn <br />A home stretch to the register and <br />Freedom <br />He spied out the corner of his unwary <br />Eye, the tempting froth of frosty <br />Strawberry Ripple peeking out the top of an <br />Olympian bucket, some trickster had viciously marked <br />“On Sale.” <br /> <br />His hand, out of body, acted on its own <br />Shoved aside the blithering brain <br />Grabbed the heavenly concoction <br />And flew effortlessly through the checkout <br />Without the slightest protest or whimper <br />Of remorse. <br /> <br />At home on the sofa, spoon in hand <br />A smile of sophistic satisfaction <br />Erased the last semblance of reason <br />His stubby fingers loosening his belt <br />One more notch <br />Thinking with absolute conviction, by Zeus! <br />That the diet could easily be resumed <br />Promptly <br />On the morrow. <br /> <br /> <br />(Previously published in Apollo's Lyre, Spring 2007)<br /><br />Laurence Overmire<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/achilles-goes-shopping/
