Lynne Grossman

Choices

Morning greets with 
Joyful anticipation
When life was Simpler
One choice
choose 
One
Sweater,
Just one
Which one?

Crouch 
Looking into
That drawer
Sunshine spills
Illuminating its contents

Pluck 
One sweater
Plenty
Of time
Having arose early

I think of 
Friends I’ll see
And smile
I want to look my 
Best
This first day

Oh no, lots of time has passed
Anxiety builds
Calm myself
force myself
To choose

Just one
Only One
A Special
One
From this
Low drawer contents
Neat pile
black- too dismal
charcoal gray, light grey
Maybe charcoal
I like charcoal 
Reminds of sketching
Still
Too somber
Hmm
Then 
Forest green 
Beckons

Darn!
Now I’m running late
jump up
Crap!
Hurry up!
Grab curlers 
Those Clairol
Orange and green
Heat on counter
Scoot into shower
No makeup
just tame those frizzies

Will mom drive-
yes! 
Still late
Don’t know my new homeroom
pop into
Any classroom
Gee, room full of youngsters
Mentally challenged
I’m Enthralled by 
gentle
Teacher
Woman with glowing brown skin
Even in my dream
I wonder why?
Why is it pertinent  
A Woman
And Of color?
Sitting there I am still in my curlers
Hoping no reprimand
For violating
School rules
A boy smiles 
At me
I smile back
He glows
Teacher smiles 
At me
Lesson ends 
As I walk by her lectern

She looks down
fetches
pink spongy curlers
Clasps them into
Her hair!
Says
My action
Breaking the rules
Encouraged her to also 
We exchange smiles
Partners
Women 
in solidarity-

I made two choices 
That day

Copyright 2024 Lynne Grossman

Lynne Grossman is an artist and writer who strongly believes in using the arts for healing and social justice. She has published nonfiction, poetry, and flash fiction in the anthologies: The Light Between Us-True Stories of Healing Through Creative Expression, Poems of the Super Moon, and Flash! Short Short Stories by Pen Women (The Pen Women Press). Her essay and other poems have been published on websites such as Split this Rock Organization’s blog: “Blog this Rock” for the theme  Poems of Resistance, Power, and Resilience. Lynne has given many poetry readings including as an introduction to the special evening of poetry led by then Poet Laureate of Virginia Sofia M. Starnes. Lynne was an invited reader for “The Celebration of African-American Poets of Washington, D.C”. She is a retired Speech-Language Pathologist and Hearing Therapist. Lynne holds degrees from The University of Virginia: B.S. Speech-Language Pathology, M.Ed. (Concentration: Audiology).

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