~

“I’m so pleased
to meet you.”

“Oh, we’ve met before.

But that’s all right,
it happens galore.”

Then they look
and they try
to recall,
but get stuck;

and they won’t say
a thing anymore.

~
Why only today,
I went to a store,

to pick up an item
on order.

“So, what is your name?”

“Marvin Welborn.”

…and spell it right out there
before them.

They pour through their books,
and come up with looks,
by now, is to me
most familiar.

“Wellenbaum, Abbott?”

“Nope. That is not it.”

…and spell out my surname
again.

It’s the same old thing,
familiar the ring:

It’s a Cow
that moos,
but no milk.

“Are you sure
that you ordered
your item here?

I can’t find a thing
with your name
in it there.”

“It was ordered on X
and delivered by Y,
so someone named Z
here had told me.”

“Oh wait! Okay then,
I do see it here.

There seems to have been
a small error.”

And the box will appear;
but it’s just as I fear:
mis-labeled
with pre-said misnomer.

~
Then, turning to leave
I hear them then state:

“We’re sorry
for the wait,
and the misnamed
mistake.

It’s an error
we promise
to never remake.”

“No problem, my friend.”

And I think that’s the end,
….then they say:

“And thanks for your business.
Please come back again.
It’s been our great pleasure
to serve you.

Have a great day
Mr. Melvin Wilbur.”

But I turn
and I just walk away.
~

©2014, Marvin Welborn

06 April 2014. Revised 22 Oct 2014.