Supermarket Reminder and Reflections on Death in Billy Collins' 'Downpour'

In the poem 'Downpour' by Billy Collins, the speaker reflects on naming deceased friends and the ritual of recalling them in a supermarket setting. By listing the departed on a flipped shopping list, a sense of remembering and forgetting intertwines with mundane tasks, like buying groceries. The poem transitions from a practical activity to a solemn procession, capturing a poignant moment of honoring the dead through everyday experiences.