I want to strangle whoever invented manners
and scream your name across the aisles
of vegetarian sausages, plain bagels, Marmite,
cloudy lemonade, hash browns, Marvellous Creations,
Pringles, eggs, crumpets, hollandaise sauce,
and I want to scream it as loudly as my chest did
when you introduced yourself back then.

© Carl Burkitt 2023