A Cashier's Experience

What can you see in just a glimpse?

He walked up on July 5^th, wife and three kids

in tow. I went to check him out at the register,

but he said, “I’ve already paid”.

 

Seems like an everyday event, huh?

 

When he spoke something far different shown

through. His voice rang with femininity I heard

many times in our local gay bar. His eyes shrieked

of some semi-hidden confusion. Body language rang

of how far ahead he was walking from his wife-

how odd.

 

My eyes traveled upon air thick with pressure,

falling on his wife at the end of the line. I could

see the pent up stress in the moldy frown lines

growing in the corner of her lips. She had a stubborn

streak, is showed in the way she carried her struck

back shoulders. The toddler in her arms was clutched

close to her breast, but more for her, reassuring.

 

Finally, the kids. The little girl was the image of

a Stepford wife at a young age. Her plastic smile

advertized potential for a fake world, while thick

framed glasses covered up baby-doll, ignorant eyes.

 

By then they were almost past. All I saw

of the little boy was the way his shoulders hunched.

It was almost like rubber bands attached to his wrists

wouldn’t allow him to stretch too far. He alone didn’t

live in pleasantville.

 

Today, in the span of 10 seconds, I saw a gay man

with his family. He was too scared to come out

of such a neat, tidy little closet. His eyes told me it was

too late.

Author's Note

This occurred yesterday. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when my gay-dar went off. I knew of gay men trying to be straight, but had never witnessed it. Maybe I was wrong, but it was an intense sight for me.

Reviews

[Carlie]

This poem is so full of emotion and even breaks my heart a little. I commend you for expressing such an experience with such strong emotions. This makes the poem become real. I like that you included every member of the family in the poem. I think it really makes the poem go full circle, and completes the poem in a wonderful way. Sad, but I liked it.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

I am one who will study people and analyze their movements and I must say you sound dead on in your thoughts... it is a shame that so many must hide their true selves because of an often prejudice world.