The Greeters and ….

-M. Sitoula

Like the screens of the dawns and the dusks
upon the global horizons
the doors at the Walmart keep closing and opening
in their sweet dutiful ways
through which the customers come in.

Like the vigilant universal consciousness
though present everywhere but never seen
except felt in the conscience of every creative force
the greeters are already alert on the doors to welcome
when the customers come.

They come like the dawning sun
with its golden hue throwing around
the meadows of the American horizons
that are nourished by the natural spirits
from time immemorial; nourished
also by the sprouting villages, towns and cities
since the advent of Prometheus
when he was showing the seeds of light, freedom,
reason, love, respect and justice among men and the wild
to foster the culture of thoughts, arts and technology
where men, pets and the wild make their amicable sports
a lovely gesture of the actors in the colorful theatre
where the greeters greet them all!

But they are not alone:
The greeters are with their friends there
which include the doors and the cheerful flow of customers,
there are the electronic machines for processing the returns,
the beautiful rows of carts are like the queues
in the customer service or like the majestic battalions
of ants in the Amazon banks or in the African jungles
or like the huge swarms of bees spread in a thick jungle
to collect honey that fell down drop by drop
from the Greek cliffs to feed the baby Hercules,
when the greeters greet them all !

Also there are the piles of baskets waiting there
like the beds of sea-beaches wait for the lovely waves
their lords gone afar to see the world and try their lucks !
The electric moving carts glitter for the old or the weak,
all the carts are for the movers that would need them
while moving round in search of goods they want
or some have already taken in from outside
where the hot sun is shining terrible on every object;
but the sweats of the cart pullers cover the rays
and the occasional wind breaths them cool.
There is also the bar in the background
for closing out the heat from the air-cooler inside.

On their front there are the associates and cashiers nearby
all busy in themselves and the roaming managers;
but on top of them their sweet voices of greetings and see-offs
come directly from the pool of the warm heart
like the mountain fountains of pure water or a small flow
of seen-unseen water in the Sahara desert
come out to quench the frenzy of rushing thirst of travelers !

The sense of duty and responsibility to give the best
impression in the very entrance and exit concerns them the most:
thus the greeters greet them all !

That the meadows shine distinctly beyond the parking lot
with the morning pearls of the earths’ and sky’s toils
in union, noble as the ‘work is worship’
and sacred as virginity of the Himalayas
or the Rocky Mt or the Alps or Macchu Picchu
in the Aconcagua range of the Peruvian Andes
-extremely bitter cold or some times even depression -
where mostly the sense of compassion and pride of place
are at cheerful play with the pulses of moments
making history in awe and wonder the decades pass or centuries
in which quite often the real artist-commoners fall
into the brackets of oblivion –but enlivening their memory
the customers come and the greeters greet them all !

The free customers with their shining faces in liberty
and glittering enthusiasm come in the doors:
“Hi, how are you ? Or welcome to Walmart”
Hail the greeters with all the gracious tone of
Civility, humbleness and a music of the heart
in a pride and pleasure of civilization !

The busy hours inside flow like the spontaneous brooks
that are decorated by the soft mosses of the bank
and given fresh life with their nonstop flow
like our desires and imagination to sustain life, duty and art;
while the moon and stars sprinkle drops of lights at night
to peep their harmless beauty in the innocent hide
and the sun at day time throws rays of light, life and awareness
about service, self respect and responsibility
when the small shower, a cooler from the sky
prepares a photo session in the rainbow just on the front
where Walmart is mirrored and reflected,
and the greeters greet them all .

Thus here in Walmart the people flow like life itself
in diurnal corridors of clock in and clock out
in a system of an organized selling center
lit by the energetic lights of within and without
of the tender hearts, and skills of the dedicated hands,
on the same footing of attitude and thoughts settled
out of the team-grass-root from where like this
evolve leadership on its own to continue the run
and also make a new march through the new concepts
and visions to mobilize all with an energy of unity and support:
‘leaders who are listening, appreciating, caring
and embracing service’, an ideal set by Sam Walton
to improve the air and ‘attitude of service to the local
communities’ and develop a good will in the ‘local landscape’.

At this the customers move round the goods
causing them dance like the fawns in the parks
or our wishes at play with our activities
when they all make innocent travels to and fro, up and down.

The wailing and smiling babies, playful children and the teens
all at play in every curious moment of their own
to enter into the ‘brave new world’ of every new phase of life
with paces befitting the spaces of the Walmart cases and rows
or the walkways that are free of spills, dirt and disturbances,
‘Safety’ the first concern, respect, help and services;
then the choices begin at the desks, hangers, shelves or lockers
or ‘excuse me , where can … be found?’ the humble quarries
like those of the legendary heroes or in the fairy tales
in the tired evening talking to a good Samaritan-
on the way back home tired with toil but bright in thinking
of his better-half to land the tiredness in rest reaching soon-
asking about the lost cherished one/s or for a shelter;
recollecting such a sweet memory by a one in the floor
just fancying to have found (though not)the lost heart back
and trying to help the customers earnestly
from corner to corner…. in the dense of rows and goods
where they are busy in collecting items of various
countries, firms, sections, brands, forms, needs and choices
only to pass on to the already busy cashiers.

The cycle finishes and the flows move back to the greeters
Hi, hello , good day, good night, good luck , see you later!

Oh dear ! It is Walmart where the transaction
of goods in the spirit of partnership and friendship
like this are always on for all time to come
and better in continuation as per Sam Walton’s vision
to try to do away with the hardships, sufferings and sorrows
Oh God ! Bless us to ‘build a stronger America..’ in all tomorrows!

Austin, TX July 07, 009

(Copy right- M.Sitoula)