After: The clang of the cash registers, the snaking queues, the feigned patience of shoppers, tapping feet, glances at mobile screens, children tugging at adults’ clothes, the candy by the counter.
Before: Shuffling down the aisle, picking, peering, tossing into baskets, wheeling the overloaded beasts to the neon blinking counters.
Much Before: Fresh air, cool breeze, vibrant outdoors, a step inside the gargantuan building, deodorised interiors and a blast of air-conditioning.
What are small stones?
A small stone is a short piece of writing (any style) that precisely captures a fully-engaged moment for you. The process of discovering small stones is as significant as the finished creation. Searching for small stones encourages you to keep your senses on the “alive and alert” status. Involve yourself with a new set of eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers, feelings and mind. This is Mindful Writing at its best.
Read Write Live 
When I opened this post, I was confused. I thought of reading the descriptions of “after before” before getting down to read the actual poem.
Talk about missing the point!
Nice work, though. Brought out the feel of a packed mall and the shopping experience there.
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Perhaps the ‘After before’ was a mistake. I wrote down the strongest influences first and then the others.
And then I realised that it lacked a logical sequence, hence the ‘After before’ 😀
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😁😁😁
It had a charm of its own.
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