NO FRILLS

poem inspired by Rob Kaniuk’s above painting

was Pathmark’s line of
generic products.
They offered an inexpensive option
for valued customers.
My family was a NO FRILLS family.
Mom even smoked NO FRILLS 100’s.
Therefore, so did I.
Kids at school made fun of me
when they saw the austere
black letters on white packaging.
For not having name brands
in my lunch.
But what did they know.
James Karen, of Invaders from Mars and
The Return of the Living Dead,
did the Pathmark commercials
back then,
ending each with a slogan,
something like,
“Shop Pathmark, where you’re the one who’s number one, twenty-four hours a day.”
I met him once.