The Stuck Zipper
By Janet Sobczyk, 2025
This poem of mine was published in the Summer 2025 edition of "Screamin Mamas" magazine. I love the full-page image they came up with for it! The white-outlined-with-black font is beautiful in print but hard to read from this pic. It's below in a font that's easier to read online.
In a new red coat
I stood out in any crowd
maybe that's why she noticed
my bent-over struggle to line ends up
fit floppy teeth into a stubborn slider
fingers fumbling
with a Band-aid on my sore thumb.
She came to my side and asked,
"Do you need help?"
I straightened up
looked into her kind eyes
dropped defeated hands to my side
and whined like a child
"I can't zip my coat."
She immediately bent over
grabbed red coat flaps
started her own struggle
saying, "This is hard."
But then... success!
and with a broad smile
she zipped it all the way up
as I thought, "Don't zip my neck!"
I stood there amazed
at her jovial presence
her unhesitating helpfulness
her confidence to approach a stranger
and offer up-close assistance
all I could do was laugh at the situation
thank her sincerely
and chuckle all the way to my car.
