all you need in life is bread, grapes, wine, a wedge of Swiss cheese, a fork, a spoon, a man in high boots looking through a hand-held telescope, a man in a flying contraption who tries to steal the telescope. Both men wear a top hat—they don’t share one, they each can afford a hat and how ridiculous would be for one hat to cover two heads, not to mention how unhygienic for the hat. Also pictured on the bag is one scary looking kid eating blob out of a plate, his brother/sister lost in thought, holding a spoon in one hand while the other rests on his bloated stomach—too much blob?—a few chicks in the grass nibble leaves of grass. On one side of the bag, a fork stabbing a peach, a butterfly (no flowers), a parsnip, three stalks of asparagus, grandma’s mittens—no, wait, they’re lobster hands and they’re moving, inching towards the woman in a tall gown, who laughs high-pitched laughs, tilts back her red ringlets until the lobster tickles her neck and she shoots up, way up, bumps into the flying man who snatches the telescope from the telescope man, who, fist in the air, sprints after him so fast he loses his breeches and the bloated kid points his fat finger at him and laughs and runs after him and so does his brother/sister until all there’s left on Trader Joe’s grocery bag is crumbs of bread, stomped grapes, Swiss cheese holes, and a beautiful red-haired woman saved by her dress, who lands on my lap.

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Monica Dobos was born in Romania and now lives in California with her husband, son, and two parakeets, Raamu and Krishna. She has a deep interest in Buddhism, spirituality, etymology, and funny words. She teaches meditation and English online. She loves drum circles, hiking, and pickleball. Her work has appeared in Duo Anthology by Linen Press and is forthcoming on Mars with Bugaboo Hot Press.