The Return

I passed her in today
gave her over the counter medicines
but none of them worked
so I passed her in
I asked for a refund

They put her back on the shelf
And people looked but never
Bought
And slowly the dust settled
And every time I needed
A new razor or some gum
I’d pass her on the shelf
And see it gathering on her eyelashes
Like little feathers

Once I tried to blow it off
But my guilty conscience
Just made her sneeze

On Sunday in the paper
There was a flier with her picture
“half off” it said
And I figured I’d go down there
And explain

But when I got to the store
And I stood before the door
I still hadn’t decided what to say
So I just got in my car and drove away

I can still see her on the shelf
In my mind
Under the fluorescent lights
The rouge on her cheeks
Looking feverish
But her eyes I never see,
Sitting there with her feet dangling,
because
She never once looked up