I try to shop
at the small businesses
in the neighborhood
whenever I’m able
to do so.
Because I love our neighborhood
and I want it to thrive.
I stopped at a pet store
to pick up
a present
for a loved one’s dog.
The sole person working there,
as she was ringing up
my purchase,
told me how crime
is terrible in the neighborhood
(it isn’t).
She went on and on
about it.
She wouldn’t shut up.
By the time I left,
I felt terrible
about shopping there
and
I felt terrible
about the neighborhood.
My next stop
was a big box store
outside of the neighborhood.
And I vowed never
to shop in
that small pet store again.
Don’t bad mouth
the neighborhood
you’re doing business in.
The locals
love their neighborhood
and
they don’t want to hear
grievances about it.