At the cash register at Sprouts, Boulder, CO

 She carefully placed her small number of 

grocery items on the conveyer belt

and waited, an older woman, heavyset

with thick ankles and salt and pepper hair

A young Asian cashier greeted her, as they all do

but she looked away without changing expression.

Did she want a bag?  he asked.

She stared back, with a blank, but unfriendly gaze

I admit that I started to smile a bit inside

at this total lack of communication.

He rang up the groceries

and as I would have predicted, she slowly

removed her worn wallet from her purse 

and counted out the cash, carefully adding 

a penny so as to make the least amount of change.

And, of course, this confused the young man

- we don't do that anymore

He slowly started placing the groceries in a

double bag, when she looked up and said

No

taking each of her small number of items back

into her cart and shuffled away.