“Running Errands,” by Kerrin McCadden (Poetry ’14)

Poetry graduate Kerrin McCadden recently had a poem featured on Love’s Executive Order. Read an excerpt of “Running Errands” below:

Running Errands

I saw a woman’s face today in the supermarket.
She was standing at the end of the wine aisle, 
waiting to use the automated checkout machines, 

just breathing, just standing there as if it was okay
to have her face out, a little Rushmore statue
of herself for everyone to gaze at, unmasked—

first woman president of Aisle 3, important, revered,
and I realized I hadn’t seen a stranger’s face 
in forever and wondered if we will forget how 

to read faces. For a minute, I wanted to announce 
to the whole produce section of PriceChopper 
that we had one among us, a non-believer, 

someone who didn’t fucking care, but then 
I remembered she might be someone
who can’t wear a mask, then ruminated

among the packages of lemon grass about how
now there is one more thing to divide us.
It looks like we might be at this for a long time. 

Read the entire poem here: https://www.lovesexecutiveorder.com/?fbclid=IwAR2mibNlwQRJGrqhxJGbL-2WGjC7WMrN9lpOYv9iy97yCn-iYTa7jCHgM-M