The Trepid Shopper

My feelings about groceries tend
to range from tepid to trepid,
fearing obstreperous shoppers,
dreading the exhausting trek
down looming precarious aisles
of stacks too high to reach
but not too far to fall …
Then there are the choices,
too many and yet too few,
the long lines, pert clerks,
clinging plastic bags, card-
machines too tall to read
unless I stand on tiptoe … so,
I never hesitate to take this step:
“Hubby, handle the shopping today.”

***

“Intrepid” derives from the Latin word intrepidus, formed by the prefix in– (meaning “not”) and trepidus, meaning “alarmed.” People seem to hesitate to use the word “trepid.”