where bananas lift
themselves into your basket
entirely without asking
quietly as you’re passing
magically, by their own hands

where heads of celery
cry c’est la vie
and tumble
into the rumbling tumbrel
of your trolley
philosophically

where potatoes
eye you tidily in rows
patiently blinking
as you stand there thinking
how many to get
then politely grin
and bounce right in

where feathery carrots
waltz in bunches
exulting soon
they’ll be packed in lunches
spinning joyously
to land
in a laughing heap
at the bottom of your trolley
to chatter and flatter
then fall asleep

where unripe avocado
roll over and say no
sorry
avocadon’t

where peppers flex
then bump and schlep
with short, stout
peppery steps
to follow you faithfully
down every aisle
single file
red then yellow, orange and green
all the way to the checkout machine