by Phyllis Klein
 |
Trump Zipper published October 31, 2018 by R.J. Matson politicalcartoons.com |
I love the zippers in my life,
on skirts, pants, purses.
I even have a dress with three
large silver ones on the diagonal
across my chest, torso, hips.
Me, as master of my universe,
pulling the tabs open or closed,
the teeth as they fall into a chain line
like a basketball team or a ballet troupe.
Connecting me to the openings and closings
of the day, to other zippers and zipperers
everywhere. Oh if only everyone could fall
into a compassionate line, close out the cruelties,
open up for human rights, and critical care
for the Earth. If money wasn’t the only thing.
If coming together could win the day.
Phyllis Klein’s work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She is a finalist in the Sweet Poetry Contest, 2017, the Carolyn Forché Humanitarian Poetry Contest, 2019, and the Fischer Prize, 2019. She was nominated for a Pushcart prize in 2018 and again in 2020. She has a new book, The Full Moon Herald from Grayson Books. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years, she sees writing as artistic dialogue between author and readers—an intimate relationship-building process that fosters healing on many levels.