Laughing
As we see our weaknesses on shelves
Long steel cold knives
Tight frilly shirts
Ice cream!
And shoes.

Walking
Past the rows of tires
Into the fishing tackle
Stopping at the lamps:
I need one for my room.

Slipping
Soft waxed floors
Open 24 hours a day
Which is why we're here
At 3 am
On new wet wax.

Winking
From down the aisles where we've strayed
Over carts and cereal boxes
And heads of other shoppers
Here at 3 am.

Mocking life,
We try on silly hats
Suggest the purple lingerie
Challenge each other to a duel
With half-price wrapping paper rolls.

We are children again
Running up and down rows of hitherto unexplored territory
Drooling over the hundred-dollar chairs
Looking for shampoo
And toilet paper
Because we are silly.

Resting
Amid bolts of velvet
And stacks of plastic flowers
We share secrets
And tell stories:
Romance in the gingham.

We giggle
We laugh
We almost cry
Sometimes we threaten to leave
Because life has gotten too personal.

But we stay
Because we still have to smile at the cashiers
As we buy eight bottles of Pepsi
For the road
And for all-nighters.

What is the secret of college?
Wal-Mart.