november 28
predawn, cold and clear.

in the grocery store of my neighborhood, a deer in aisle 7.
the supermarket is otherwise near empty,
full lighting won’t come on
for a while yet, it’s too early for most customers,
and those one or two who have come through
were in a rush, grabbing a single item to take to work,
but i am moseying, kinda lost in my own thoughts,
picking up this and that—
some fresh air for lunch maybe, a pinch of sharp cold wind
from the freezer section for a new recipe i want to try,
winterberries and windfall in case friends drop by—
when a stock boy, taller than i but not antlered yet,
surprises me in aisle 7. i probably startle him, too,
but he stands completely still and could not be more courteous
nor more stately, makes great eye contact,
gives me his undivided attention,
asks can he help me find anything.
no, i say, i think i’m good, but thanks for asking.
well, y’all have a good day, ma’am,
he offers, and we both begin moving again, returning
to our own business, each lifted a bit, i think,
by the exchange.

—dotty seiter

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Notes about poem and art:
• “november 28” shows my inching into a Ted Kooser mindset, as I’d hoped might be possible. Many’s the time I’ve exclaimed at his gift for metaphor. For years I assumed that was a native talent of his, and it may be, but the chances are just as good that he’s honed the skill with practice. In any case, honing the skill with practice is what I am doing, and happily so.
• I’m way out of my zone here with this Let’s Face It series but that’s why I’m playing with it. I want to exercise my just-experiment-and-see-what-happens muscle and my improvisational yes-and muscle, which is precisely what I’ve done in taking The Friend Who Plays Sax from initial sketch to a slightly more developed piece.