Open for business.

backstock's empty,

most items are stale—

but hey...

Joe doesn't work here anymore.

Joe's gone home.

Said he was going to break his ego.

We all said a prayer for him.

Turns out he was drunk again at home.

He's an oasis, my wife Debbie liked to say.

He wasn't too good about arriving on time.

It's nice to think

I taught him things,

but I know I didn't—

he's too unteachable.

Spent too much time thinking about his brain, that's his problem—

he gave away precious Genoa salami.

A customer complained.

He wrote on the paper for a half-pound veal,

"A maelstrom," and gave it to her.

My wife thought it was cute.