Barnes and Noble Magazine Reader Manifesto - Notes From a Former Employee

hushed murmur of voices.
bad instrumental music over
hidden speakers.
the occasional couch or chair
shift can snap you back
to reality.
downcast eyes & upturned noses
both real & imagined bring color
to your face, or take it away.
workers cast sidelong glances
in your direction.
fast moving blinding melting
shafts of disgust highlight stacks
of magazines in front of you that
they (beleaguered booksellers)
just know they'll have
to put up.
finding a seat was easy;
keeping your composure
amidst all the eye traffic
is not.
reader-hunters camp out in the aisles
& shift their weight.
they may feign interest in
"medieval poetry and you",
but really they're just plotting
your demise, willing you to
go away
w/every blurried eye blink.
be strong & keep your seat.
they can't wait you out.
little do they know
you've already gone to the bathroom.
you've skipped the starbucks.
you know when the store closes
& have acquired the reading material
accordingly.
they'll never break you.
they'll never win.
you know the rules that they do not.
you've worked here before.