you steal a piece of my #soul – v2 #poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols #pain #value #worth

you may not realize
your blatant condemnation
you disregard for our humanity
tired, angry, at your condescension...
One of the invisible people
you can look down on,
cell phones at the ready
barking your commands,
blindly denying our humanity…
 
you steal a piece of my soul
every time you ignore me
tapping on your phones
when you expect me to serve you
to know what you want
precisely, completely,
when you are not looking
when you don’t hear my questions
when you treat me
as one of the invisible people...
 
humbled before you,
your quick-snapped instructions,
looking down on us as servants
rejecting our equality...
seeing us as others as strangers,
not as good as you are
tapping on your cell phones
barking your orders
not noticing those before you…
 
I hate what you do
matters to me, at all,
that I seek any approval
in the eyes of man...
But your indifference cuts me
I feel your contempt for us
the invisible people, servants,
that you see as beneath you...
We must find our worth within,
and in the eyes of God...
 
-----
Merged June 8, 2026
you steal a piece of my soul – v2
 
Edited June 8, 2026
Invisible People – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/invisible-people-v2.html
June 8, 2026
you steal a piece of my soul
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/you-steal-piece-of-my-soul.html
Repost June 8, 2026
Invisible People
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/invisible-people.html
May 1, 2025
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/invisible-people.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.

poetry, customers, time, retail, slavery, chains, invisible people, respect, humanity, culture, America, cell phones, God, fear of man, approval, idols, false idols, pain, value, worth,
 
#poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols #pain #value #worth
 

#Invisible #People – v2 #poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols #pain #value #worth

you may not realize
your blatant condemnation
you disregard for our humanity
tired, angry, at your condescension...
One of the invisible people
you can look down on,
cell phones at the ready
barking your commands,
blindly denying our humanity…
 
humbled before you,
your quick-snapped instructions,
looking down on us as servants
rejecting our equality...
seeing us as others as strangers,
not as good as you are
tapping on your cell phones
barking your orders
not noticing those before you…
 
-------------
Edited June 8, 2026
Invisible People – v2
 
June 8, 2026
you steal a piece of my soul
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/you-steal-piece-of-my-soul.html
Repost June 8, 2026
Invisible People
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/invisible-people.html
May 1, 2025
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/invisible-people.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.

poetry, customers, time, retail, slavery, chains, invisible people, respect, humanity, culture, America, cell phones, God, fear of man, approval, idols, false idols, pain, value, worth,
 
#poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols #pain #value #worth

you steal a piece of my #soul #poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols #pain #value #worth

you steal a piece of my soul
every time you ignore me
tapping on your phones
when you expect me to serve you
to know what you want
precisely, completely,
when you are not looking
when you don’t hear my questions
when you treat me
as one of the invisible people...
 
I hate what you do
matters to me, at all,
that I seek any approval
in the eyes of man...
but your indifference cuts me
I feel your contempt for us
the invisible people, servants,
that you see as beneath you...
We must find our worth within,
and in the eyes of God...
 
-----
June 8, 2026
you steal a piece of my soul
 
Repost June 8, 2026
Invisible People
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/invisible-people.html
May 1, 2025
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/invisible-people.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.

poetry, customers, time, retail, slavery, chains, invisible people, respect, humanity, culture, America, cell phones, God, fear of man, approval, idols, false idols, pain,
 
#poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols #pain
 

#Invisible #People #poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols #pain #value #worth

they may not realize
their blatant condemnation
their disregard for our humanity
tired, angry, at their condescension
One of the invisible people
they can look down on,
cell phones at the ready
barking their commands,
blindly denying our humanity…
 
humbled before them,
their quick-snapped instructions,
looking down on us as servants
rejecting our equality,
seeing us as others as strangers,
not as good as they are
tapping on their cell phones
barking their orders
not noticing those before them…
 
-------------
Repost June 8, 2026
Invisible People
 
May 1, 2025
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/invisible-people.html
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.

poetry, customers, time, retail, slavery, chains, invisible people, respect, humanity, culture, America, cell phones, God, fear of man, approval, idols, false idols, 
 
#poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America #God #fearofman #approval #idols #falseidols

Invisible People

they may not realize
their blatant condemnation
their disregard for our humanity
tired, angry, at their condescension
One of the invisible people
they can look down on,
cell phones at the ready
barking their commands,
blindly denying our humanity…
 
humbled before them,
their quick-snapped instructions,
looking down on us as servants
rejecting our equality,
seeing us as others as strangers,
not as good as they are
tapping on their cell phones
barking their orders
not noticing those before them…
 
-------------
May 1, 2025
Invisible People
 
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
-------------------
poetry, customers, time, retail, slavery, chains, invisible people, respect, humanity, culture, America,
 
#poetry #customers #invisiblepeople #retail #slavery #chains #respect #humanity #culture #America

A penny – v2

Sitting outside the store
grabbing a bite of lunch
stopping for a few minutes, a break,
seeing a customer approach
who I know so well.
 
Asked where the birthday cards are,
repeating a similar question, as she does
every time she enters the store;
A card was in her hand when she came out.
 
She bent down beside me
Silently stopping, reaching,
a penny was her quest, her desire;
But she wordlessly put the penny
in my hand instead.
 
A nod, a thank you,
for her moment of kindness;
I passed on the penny to the next customer
who walked out the door.
 
-----------------

Edited February 2, 2023

A penny – v2

 

January 28, 2023

A penny

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-penny.html

Edited January 26, 2023

Blocking, facing – v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/blocking-facing-v2.html

Edited January 26, 2023

We see them all – v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/we-see-them-all-v2.html

&

January 25, 2023

Blocking, facing

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/blocking-facing.html

&

January 25, 2023

We see them all

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/we-see-them-all.html

&

Edited January 23, 2023

They brought the virus with them

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/they-brought-virus-with-them.html

January 23, 2023

bringing the virus with them

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/bringing-virus-with-them.html

&

December 29, 2021

Pushing freight in a pandemic

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/12/pushing-freight-in-pandemic.html

edited October 25, 2021

Another SKU - haiku

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/10/another-sku-haiku.html

converted to haiku based on challenge in comments

October 25, 2021

Another SKU

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/10/another-sku.html

&

edited June 9, 2021

a hole cut out of the universe – v3

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-hole-cut-out-of-universe-v3.html

edited June 9, 2021

a hole cut out of the universe – v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-hole-cut-out-of-universe-v2.html

June 9, 2021

a hole cut out of the universe

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-hole-cut-out-of-universe.html

&

edited April 18, 2021

a chance meeting – 2 - v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-chance-meeting-2-v2.html

April 15, 2021

a chance meeting - 2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-chance-meeting.html

&

edited March 6, 2021

God must weep - v3

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/03/god-must-weep-v3.html

edited March 6, 2021

God must weep - v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/03/god-must-weep_6.html

March 6, 2021

God must weep

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/03/god-must-weep.html

Twitter post by @JustAmyZing:

https://twitter.com/JustAmyZing/status/1368229697650319361

“I will never understand American Christianity’s

response to the pandemic. I’m so grieved by

reckless choices that lead to real life consequences

for the whole community. And I wonder in the

Church’s failure in this also grieves the heart of God.”

My reply:

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1368230798323822593

if "#Jesus wept." for the death of one friend,

Lazarus, how much more so must #God weep for this

loss of life from the pandemic.

John 11:35

“Jesus wept.”

&

edited March 23, 2020

a virus spreading – v9

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-virus-spreading-v9.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242055056016498688

stanza 1 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054030848819200

stanza 2 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054323250630659

stanza 3 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054493413531649

stanza 4 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054712423321600

 

changing order of stanzas and edits

edited March 22, 2020

a virus spreading – v8

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-virus-spreading-v8.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241873672643674112

stanza 1 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872235666780162

stanza 2 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872448527773696

stanza 3 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872747652943873

stanza 4 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872989588721671

edited March 22, 2020

a virus, spreading – v7

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-virus-spreading-v7.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241748018652536833

part 1 of 2 - https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241747048631873536

part 2 of 2 - https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241747180429418498

CDC COVID-19 site:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

&

March 22, 2020

a hidden enemy

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-hidden-enemy.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241731453228142595

stanza 1 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241727270533902341

stanza 2 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241727640551202817

stanza 3 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241728193440202753

 

 

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

 

 

poem, poetry, Lent, Christ, God, Spirit, America, love, grace, COVID, pandemic, mask, vaccine, John 11,

 

#poem #poetry #Lent #Christ #God #Spirit #America #COVID #pandemic #mask #vaccine #John11:35

 

---------------------

poetry, retail, stocking, sku, progress, supply chain, COVID, Covid 19, pandemic,

 

#poetry #retail #stocking #sku #progress #SupplyChain #covid #covid19 #pandemic

 

----------------

Covid-19, vaccine, poem, poetry, God, spirit, coincidence, meeting, connection, purpose, meaning, future, journey,

 

#poem #poetry #CovidVaccine #pandemic #coincidence #meeting #connection #purpose #meaning #future #God #Spirit #journey

 

-----------------

poetry, pandemic, Covid, Covid-19, virus, quarantine, infection, vaccine, death, America, Fauci, Trump, Biden,

 

#poetry #pandemic #Covid #Covid19 #virus #quarantine #infection #vaccine #death #America #Fauci #Trump #Biden

 

----------------------

Covid 19, ME, NYC, Lunar New Year 2023, Patten, China, COVID, pandemic, virus, retail, poetry,

 

#retail #Covid_19 #poetry #virus #nyc #Patten #ME #chinacovid #LunarNewYear2023

 

---------------------

poetry, retail, stocking, supply chain, customers, customer service, corner store, convenience,

 

#poetry #retail #stocking #SupplyChain #customers #customerservice #cornerstore #convenience

 

---------------------

poetry, retail, kindness, customers, sharing,

 

#poetry #retail #kindness #customers #sharing

 

Blocking, facing – v2

Blocking, facing, stretching,

with a limited supply in stock;

Creating an image, a picture,

A façade, a lie of fullness,

A movie set of retail

of more inventory here

giving customers a sense

that we can provide

all of their needs.

 

-----------------

Edited January 26, 2023

Blocking, facing – v2

 

Edited January 26, 2023

We see them all – v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/we-see-them-all-v2.html

&

January 25, 2023

Blocking, facing

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/blocking-facing.html

&

January 25, 2023

We see them all

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/we-see-them-all.html

&

Edited January 23, 2023

They brought the virus with them

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/they-brought-virus-with-them.html

January 23, 2023

bringing the virus with them

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/01/bringing-virus-with-them.html

&

December 29, 2021

Pushing freight in a pandemic

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/12/pushing-freight-in-pandemic.html

edited October 25, 2021

Another SKU - haiku

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/10/another-sku-haiku.html

converted to haiku based on challenge in comments

October 25, 2021

Another SKU

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/10/another-sku.html

&

edited June 9, 2021

a hole cut out of the universe – v3

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-hole-cut-out-of-universe-v3.html

edited June 9, 2021

a hole cut out of the universe – v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-hole-cut-out-of-universe-v2.html

June 9, 2021

a hole cut out of the universe

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-hole-cut-out-of-universe.html

&

edited April 18, 2021

a chance meeting – 2 - v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-chance-meeting-2-v2.html

April 15, 2021

a chance meeting - 2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-chance-meeting.html

&

edited March 6, 2021

God must weep - v3

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/03/god-must-weep-v3.html

edited March 6, 2021

God must weep - v2

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/03/god-must-weep_6.html

March 6, 2021

God must weep

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2021/03/god-must-weep.html

Twitter post by @JustAmyZing:

https://twitter.com/JustAmyZing/status/1368229697650319361

“I will never understand American Christianity’s

response to the pandemic. I’m so grieved by

reckless choices that lead to real life consequences

for the whole community. And I wonder in the

Church’s failure in this also grieves the heart of God.”

My reply:

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1368230798323822593

if "#Jesus wept." for the death of one friend,

Lazarus, how much more so must #God weep for this

loss of life from the pandemic.

John 11:35

“Jesus wept.”

&

edited March 23, 2020

a virus spreading – v9

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-virus-spreading-v9.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242055056016498688

stanza 1 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054030848819200

stanza 2 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054323250630659

stanza 3 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054493413531649

stanza 4 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1242054712423321600

 

changing order of stanzas and edits

edited March 22, 2020

a virus spreading – v8

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-virus-spreading-v8.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241873672643674112

stanza 1 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872235666780162

stanza 2 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872448527773696

stanza 3 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872747652943873

stanza 4 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241872989588721671

edited March 22, 2020

a virus, spreading – v7

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-virus-spreading-v7.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241748018652536833

part 1 of 2 - https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241747048631873536

part 2 of 2 - https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241747180429418498

CDC COVID-19 site:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

&

March 22, 2020

a hidden enemy

https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-hidden-enemy.html

https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241731453228142595

stanza 1 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241727270533902341

stanza 2 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241727640551202817

stanza 3 – https://twitter.com/raymondafoss/status/1241728193440202753

 

 

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

 

 

poem, poetry, Lent, Christ, God, Spirit, America, love, grace, COVID, pandemic, mask, vaccine, John 11,

 

#poem #poetry #Lent #Christ #God #Spirit #America #COVID #pandemic #mask #vaccine #John11:35

 

---------------------

poetry, retail, stocking, sku, progress, supply chain, COVID, Covid 19, pandemic,

 

#poetry #retail #stocking #sku #progress #SupplyChain #covid #covid19 #pandemic

 

----------------

Covid-19, vaccine, poem, poetry, God, spirit, coincidence, meeting, connection, purpose, meaning, future, journey,

 

#poem #poetry #CovidVaccine #pandemic #coincidence #meeting #connection #purpose #meaning #future #God #Spirit #journey

 

-----------------

poetry, pandemic, Covid, Covid-19, virus, quarantine, infection, vaccine, death, America, Fauci, Trump, Biden,

 

#poetry #pandemic #Covid #Covid19 #virus #quarantine #infection #vaccine #death #America #Fauci #Trump #Biden

 

----------------------

Covid 19, ME, NYC, Lunar New Year 2023, Patten, China, COVID, pandemic, virus, retail, poetry,

 

#retail #Covid_19 #poetry #virus #nyc #Patten #ME #chinacovid #LunarNewYear2023

 

---------------------

poetry, retail, stocking, supply chain, customers, customer service, corner store, convenience,

 

#poetry #retail #stocking #SupplyChain #customers #customerservice #cornerstore #convenience