Wondering if you can accept the last line.

Grocery Run in July, 2020
 
Masked people,
a few wearing gloves,
most pushing a cart,
humankind touching and lifting
products.
Beef and toilet paper,
on hand now
but near impossible to find
two months ago.
Six feet gaps anticipated
but scarce
at checkout lines.
No conversations,
no smiles.
Bold tongueless grief.

Pat

It seems that masks is a theme but not a conceit in this poem.

The last line seems telling.  What if you cut it?  That puts the emphasis back to the masks.  (I don't believe we can see through masks so how does one know its wearer wears a smile?

Might be clearer to have "carts."

"on hand now" and "impossible to find" are similar thoughts.  I wonder which is more closely related to "masks"?

"six-feet" as an adjective?  ("anticipated but scarce" is another redundancy?)

Is another theme "no"?  It seems like there is a pendulum effect for "I see it" and "I don't see it."  I wonder which focus would make the poem tighter.

Todd

Okay.  Thanks. Here's where I am. ( Feels robotic or like everyone has cooties, but I know not to say that in the poem. Trying to keep me out of it. Easy to see why so many are having depression/anxiety issues. I have to trust the reader to "get" it. )   

Grocery Run in July, 2020
 
Masked people,
a few wearing gloves,
most pushing carts,
humankind touching and lifting
products.
Beef and toilet paper,
near impossible to find
two months ago.
Six-foot gaps,
scarce at checkout lines.
No conversations.
No eye contact.
Carts head for the exit sign.  

Pat

What about a simile for the last line?  (At the least, cut Sign)

Todd

Yes, I cut sign yesterday.
A simile.  I'll think on it.  Thank you for continuing to think on it.  Gratitude.

Grocery Run in July, 2020
 
Masked people,
a few wearing gloves,
most pushing carts,
humankind touching and lifting
products.
Six-foot gaps, hard to find
at checkout lines.
No conversations.
No eye contact.
Carts press forward
toward the exit like boxcars
on train tracks.

Pat

I think the simile is an opportunity to let the reader know your position.

For example:

Sheep pressing forward
toward the exit like boxcars
on train tracks.

Carts press forward
toward the exit like lemmings
on train tracks.

Carts press forward
toward the exit like boxcars
on tired/golden tracks.

That kind of thing

Todd

Sheep or herd.  That's my feeling. Sheep don't see that well, and we are all sheep in many ways.  Thank you, Todd.

I like how you've been able to make the poem so tight and concise. It reflects how we want our time out to be fast. In and out of the store. No time for small-talk. I've even wondered would I recognize someone I know at the grocery store since we all are wearing masks.

I don't know if I like the idea of introducing sheep at the end. Of Todd's three examples, I like the last one best. The idea of tired tracks reflect how we all feel I think. And the poor employees who have to keep track of cleaning carts, they probably feel like they're on a tired neverending track.

Just some thoughts. Not sure if my thoughts were any good.

Thanks for sharing. Your poem was nice to read since we all feel like this. I think it shows the mental health issues since we aren't connecting with people in everyday errands.

Thank you, Renee.  I just saw sheep and went for it.  I know I am one.
I will relook at the poem and think longer about the tired tracks.  
Like you, I am wanting in and out.  It's a must-do thing.  I once enjoyed some part of going to the grocery store.  No more.
I will revisit the poem this morning.  Thank you!  
(I'm never done with a poem....    And thanks for the helpful comment.  
I had to take a break from writing (just exhausted from coming off a medication and from coronavirus and all its rippling effects, but I'm moving ever so slowly back into the writing arena....happier when I'm writing is what I'm figuring out.)