The Ballad Of The Supermarkets Poem by Lee Boueri

I remember as as a kid going To Coles, the Variety store.
And sometimes Wollies was right next door
Fleming and Franklins were supermarket chains
The price you paid determined the width of the lanes
Overnight it seemed
Coles and Wollies grew
Variety stores then supermarkets too.
'We can do fruit' said one to the other
'and put out of business Vegie, his brother'
And the press said 'The public is sad'
'Bye green grocer, so sad, too bad
We kinda liked Con and his mother'
as we threw in another banana
Beetroot and apples into the trolley
It's more convenient than....
Sorry Con and Molly
.
I remember the deli
I remember the smell
I remember exotic labels and cheese shaped like bells
If you want to get romantic, they came from distant lands to end up right here.
In my hands.
Then one day Coles had Honey
Made from Manuka Bees
Olives, Sausage
All types of cheese
and bought the delis to their knees
.
'It's far to much' One Polly cried
Over white Burgundy and Barra
Lightly fried
'They are getting too Big! We got our eye on you! '
As they chopped the Butcher and the fishmonger too.
.
Over a round of golf it was also discussed
Extended hours
They are a must
And as I grew They did too
Corner shops went and Sundays too
They worked their staff
7 to 11
in order to compete with
Well... you know who.
.
Coles to Wollies
'Feel like a Servo? '
'Lets take two'
'I Bags Shell, Leaves Caltex for you'
'Spoken to the Pollies? '
'One or two said yes'
'Take them to dinner and convince the rest'
.
'They got to big minister, what do we do?
I'm a little scared between me and you'
'Yes minister right away. Yes, draft a bill to say
It's All OK'
.
'On the phone Betty, can't you see'
'Sorry Mr Wollie, between you and me
I rekon make Aldi No.3
And you have the Grog shops, you're Happy
And we look good
allowing a competition spree
Anyway
who wants to buy a steak Next to a TV? '
.
As I get older,
More cynical too
Wiser, bolder but only a little
True
I wonder who made these variety stores huge
Wasn't it really me and you?
And when they are the only shops
When prices soar and quality drops
Who's left with the power really to say Stop?