Love, Loss, and Bargains: A TJ Maxx Poem
You may be familiar with the 1999 hit romantic comedy film “10 Things I Hate About You” directed by Gil Junger and starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleynik. One of the most memorable parts of the movie takes place towards the end of the movie, during an English class where Kat Stratford (played by Julia Stiles) reads a poem she wrote as an assignment. The poem, titled “10 Things I Hate About You,” lists the things Kat “hates” about Patrick Verona (played by Heath Ledger), but as the poem progresses, it reveals that these “hates” are actually expressions of how much she cares for him and how deeply she is hurt by his betrayal (he initially dated her as part of a scheme but eventually fell for her genuinely). That scene has inspired me to write my own poem, TJ Maxx: 10 Things I hate About You.
TJ Maxx: 10 Things I hate About You
I hate the way you lure her in with proclaimed deals.
I hate the endless aisles, where she spends most of her time.
I hate the way you tempt her to buy bathroom soap dispensers, when the ones at home work perfectly fine.
I hate the way you make her buy measuring spoons sets in different colors, while the other sets in the kitchen drawer measure just fine.
I hate all the TJ Maxx bags that pile up in the bedroom or right outside the garage door.
I hate the “quick trips” that last for days, it’s something I abhor.
I hate the FaceTime calls I get just to be asked “what color do you prefer.”
I hate the post shopping fashion show I am forced to endure.
I hate the introduction, “I bought this, but I am going to return it.”
But mostly, I hate when she brings home a good deal for me because I do get a sense of joy.