in the ways of grocery

i often wonder

as the clerk at the grocery store

bags

the goods

that i have purchased,

are they trained for

this.

does someone teach them

to separate

the meat,

the perishables.

fruits and vegetables

and what not.

setting aside such things

as bottles of ammonia

or pesticides.

each with their own

plastic bag

wrapped tight.

who told them to put

the bread on top, 

to ask

if we want to carry out

the jug of milk separately,

as they roll

the newspaper up.

do they figure it out 

naturally, by instinct,

or is there

a higher up that schools

them

in the ways of grocery?