the new business venture

a lady in the supermarket
yells

at me, because I put a hole in my
baby blue
mask

in order to slide
a straw into mouth and sip

on my r.c. cola.

you're going to kill us all she
screamed

running down
the aisle, the wrong way, I
might add,

with her nineteen cans of cat
food.

the manager comes over and i
show him how i
have a small flap that seals

up the hole once my straw is
removed.

he nods, his finger to his chin
and says,

you know what. you've got something
there.
I think we can sell these
things.

can you make me a few a dozen
and i'll split the profit with you.

sure I tell him. no problem. we'll put
them at the front of the aisle

near the hand sanitizers

and the entemman donuts.