What is it I’m supposed to remind you about? 

Thaya never do

   I never do?

Nope  Notever

Well . . . I’m thinking of it now.

Excellent

What is it?

Youre supposed to remind me about   Yes

                                                 Whaisit

   Something.

Thas a lot of things

Are you gonnasay?

Aryagonnabe testy

                       Ya sound testy 

whined I remembered.

   But not wha

No.

    There is that.

You were to remind me when my beard was too longremind me to shave trim it

THAT’S IT.

It is

   You realise how stupid that is, which is probably why I don’t remember?

You don remember because you don remember

I remembered.

I did.

       It’s so stupid.

Look in the mirror, you’ll see.

See I need to shave

I wouldn’t say just yet, I saw you shaved after Halloween. You like to go a couplethree weeks.

Wasnt hard to miss I told you I was growing out my moustache an goateeMethod actor style to be the Dude Big Lebowski for Halloween

                           Grew it three months

Really stupid.

Its not

You have a bathroom mirror.

I do

Look in it.

You must forget  Theres something else Ive also told you

he cringed Something else I’m supposed to remind you to do?

No

     I think you failing at one thing is plenty

Ive also told you tha whenever I walk into a room I only see fiftytwo percent of the occupants

I remember thatI remember that. You only see women.

Thas right

And I remember then that you pare the women down and only see, perhaps, twenty percent.

Right again

             So why do I ask you to tell me when I ought to shave

I DON’T KNOW.

Hear me Im respecting those men I do not see in that room when I enter Men do not interest me

I rememberyou’ve said.

   If Im not gonna see them

                                 Why woud I see him in the mirror

3PM,  Thursday,  9  11. 23

1219,  Reggaefriday,  10  11. 23

Michael Jackson  Man in the Mirror  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gqMRlN6mAA

it was an interesting backanforth

                                    he pressed cashiers into conversation when it was terribly apparent they were content to scan products their only unfortunate interaction to have to speak was to tell someone what they owed

thats transaction with extreme prejudice

he was an older gentlemanolder than one might imagine to first become a cashier

a natty dresser

bowtie

jacket

under his apron

   affixed nametag Claude

he didnt say was thinking clawed balls

                                          Claude  How are youhavin a good day

Claude looked startledlooked at him through hornrimmed glasses

                                                                      Hello.

How are ya

             he coudbe chatty hed be brief had only four items woudnt wear Claude down

I am well sir.

Sir looked left down the line behind him

                                            My fathers not here Now hes a sir 

Yes sir Claude said as he took the grocerycard scanned it placed it on a small shelf between them where people wrote checks picked up a clearplastic bag of four garlic heads fiftycents a piece and muttered White mushrooms.

   Garlic

white mushrooms  $2.15 appeared on the register screen

Claude balls he didnt say Theyre garlic

Yes. I heard you.

                   Claude reached for the celery in another bag

Claude Im not buying mushrooms

holding the celerystalk in both hands he looked at the screen  I heard you. I don’t know why I didn’t listen to you.  he began punching buttons disallowing the mushrooms entered 4@ GARLIC BULK  I am sorry, sir.

No sweat lotsa people don hear me when I speak

                                                     You arent the first wont be the last

I don’t know why I didn’t listen to you . . I heard you.

Got me

         Your mind may have been on the shoulder of a remote highway thumbing for a ride Hitchhiking always a kick

I’ve never hitchhiked.

My condolences

it seemed his eyes crossedbriefly behind the glass lens but recovered as fast

                                                                                  Condolences? like the word was never in his mouth before

Unless youve hitched I cant say youd understand

Condolences I’m not sure I like that.

Well yaint dead Ya got time

he cleared his throat Do you need a bag?  he was done entering his items

he tugged the strap of the canvasbag over his shoulder

                                                          Have one no thanks

The mushrooms were two dollars fifteen cents. You saved fifteen cents.

But not if they were mushrooms

They weren’t.

bagging his items No they werent

                                      he touched his debtcard to the payment screen

the receipt disgorged from the register

                                        Would you like your receipt?

Please Claude taking his receipt You have a fine day Get out on the highway catch a ride with your mind

3PM,  Thursday,  9  11. 23

1114,  Reggaefriday,  10  11. 23

Ides of March  Vehicle  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq95nZBbNHI

she asked Was that necessary?  

he saw she was slightly ruffled

Necessary he said is subjective

                                  No   It wasnt necessary but it needed to be said

Why did you have to say it?

   Were you going to

No. No I wasn’t going to say.

There you have it

                   You are the only other person in the room I woud have trusted to say an franklyas you know  you woudve said it better than me  More artful   More  compassionate

Less direct. she gave him a hard eye

he smiled she constantly amusedpleased him  Direct 

                                                         Yes 

a smallsmile crept onto her face So direct for as long as I’ve known you so offputting, even when you know betterknow when to take the foot off the pedal or handle someone with kid gloves.

Ah  Kid gloves Tossed those away long ago

                                                Saves time when saying wha needs to be said

Tear off the band-aid my mother would say. Still. She was unlike you.

Yes

     How you can gently peel it away behooves me

There are benefits.

I understand Though none Id prefer which is why Im abrupt

                                                                  Accurate 

I really wasnt tha offensive

   Not really no. Your timing . . . it was probably too soon.

Too soon he nodded his headhe agreed

                                           Though a good chance well not see each other again

she nodded her headshe agreed No. Those are very slim to none.

Which is why I said

                         wistfully There is never a good time

No. Unfortunately not.

he said  We don remember our birth an we wont remember our death

2329,  day-between-2-Ts,  8  11. 23

0939,  Reggaefriday,  10  11. 23