Lyric

The automatic doors opened

Before I was ready

I took a basket

From the stack

The handle was warm

From somebody else

The floor was too clean

For my shoes

A cashier looked up

Then looked back down

I walked past shampoo

And stomach tablets

Past cotton pads

And plastic razors

Past all the things

Made for small repair

I came for small things

To keep the body working

Nothing urgent

Nothing dramatic

Just enough items

To explain me badly

I felt alone

Under all that white

In a place built

For fixing things

I wanted someone to notice

Then nobody at all

I was tired of needing

Such small repairs

I bought what I needed

And still felt hard to keep

A toothbrush

Two bandages

One bottle of water

One cheaper meal

Lip balm

AA batteries

Something for my mouth

Something for my hands

I compared two prices

For too long

As if the difference

Could defend me

A shelf label offered

Three yen back

I stood there considering

What that meant

The basket got heavier

Without much inside

It swung against my leg

With every aisle

I looked at the contents

And knew too much

I felt alone

Under all that white

In a place built

For fixing things

I wanted someone to notice

Then nobody at all

I was tired of needing

Such small repairs

I bought what I needed

And still felt hard to keep

At the checkout

I placed myself down

Item by item

On the counter

The cashier scanned

My small condition

Beep

Beep

Beep

Water

Bandages

Batteries

Bread

A receipt came out

With my total printed

The number was fair

Which made it worse

Nothing had happened

That anyone could name

No emergency

No clear event

Just a body

Asking for supplies

Just a man

After regular hours

Buying enough

To continue badly

I was not in danger

I was not okay

I was somewhere between

The total and the bag

Between what I needed

And what it said about me

I felt alone

Under all that white

In a place built

For fixing things

I wanted someone to notice

Then nobody at all

I was tired of needing

Such small repairs

I bought what I needed

And still felt hard to keep

The doors opened again

Without asking

I carried the bag

By two fingers

The receipt folded itself

Inside my palm

I went back out

With just enough

Not better

Just supplied

Not ready

Just less empty-handed