I went to an ice cream place the other day.

It’s one I’d been avoiding.
I’d been avoiding it,
I decided, for a pretty stupid reason,
so I figured I’d give them a shot.

I didn’t like that it promoted
so many vegan flavors
because vegan stuff doesn’t taste good
but vegan stuff is better for the universe,
I decided, even if it tastes like turd,
so I should go on in.

I got over my bad reason.

The place had some pretty cool flavors,
after all, and maybe
I could feel good about myself
since the place

was good for the universe, after all.

No,
I wouldn’t order vegan.
That really is a bridge too far.

When I tried to pay
I was told my money was no good.
I blushed, thinking they recognized me
from my amazing poetry,
but they meant
I needed to change my cash
into a charge card
which I could then exchange into goods.

They would not accept the currency of the nation
at the store.
Poor people would not be able to easily consume their products.
People unfamiliar with tech couldn’t either.

I followed instructions
and got a charge card buying a $20 card for a $19.70 purchase.
I will not see my thirty cents again.
Someone buying a ten dollar ice cream would be forced to come back again
if they wanted their money.

I appreciate the store
exchanging my bad reasons
for not using their services
for very good reasons.

It makes me feel much better about myself
and, of course, much worse about them.