there is nothing
people need so badly
they have to wake up at 4 a.m.
to stand in line in the cold
to viciously fight
over products of uncertain quality
at half off the outrageously marked-up prices
with no time
to even check if they are getting the right size
just for the sake of taking advantage
of a bargain that will probably go unused
in a corner
for years
cindy 2014
Return to Poetry
15. Getting a Bargain!
That’s right, folks. Getting a bargain is certainly something to look forward to, especially if you weren’t expecting it. It’s like getting a bonus gift or a great discount when you weren’t looking for one. That really makes it a gift item, even if you do have to pay something.
I just got such a bargain today. I decided to go down to Michael’s and get some tubes of paint, and while searching for the cheapest tubes of reasonably good quality that I could find, I found one color on clearance at $1.99 for a 120 ml tube! Now that was a bit of a bargain. But my bargain day didn’t end there.
I strolled all around the store, as I love to do, looking at all sorts of items and taking note of where I could get some things and at what prices. After making a full round, I decided to go back to the art supplies and didn’t I see a lonely wooden painter’s case–one of those little suitcase-like boxes, with partitions inside for paints and brushes and a wooden palette to boot! All at a fraction of the original price, and just because there was a little chip in one outer corner of the box. Of course I grabbed it. Why wouldn’t I, at $12.99? I was in need of one, and here was the perfect box, presenting itself. Last in stock, last on the shelf. That was certainly a bargain I wasn’t counting on, but I did take advantage of it, and I am happy about that little thing.
It made my day.
Cindy Lapeña: Creativity Unlimited 