Growing up Poor
A poem by  Gary Grossman

Growing up Poor

is like Herpes simplex—
never cured, won’t leave,
always texting to hang.
It just lays there silently,
until life chews me up
and spits me out, like my
first bite of cheap steak—then,
and only then, it slaloms
down a nerve to bloom—
a red peony on
my upper lip.

Years later, mortgage mostly
paid off, bank account flush as
a king tide, the gaunt fingers
of poverty still crawl the
canyon walls of my brain,
whispering “Don’t. Too risky.
You won’t succeed.”

Reaching up, yet again,
I fling away those bony
articulations of the past.

About the Author:

 Gary Grossman’s writing appears in 38 literary reviews and his piece “Mindfulness” is nominated for inclusion in Best Small Fictions 2023. Gary’s  poetry book (Lyrical Years) is available from Kelsay Press, and his second, What I Meant to Say… will be released by Impspired Press in Dec. 2023. His graphic novel, My Life in Fish… is available from todaysecologicalsolutions@gmail.com , and will be reissued by Impspired in 2024.

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