Two kids, 
two cars, 
careers. 
Too much, 
sometimes. 

I wanted poplar green, but you held fast. 
Now when the sun crowns 
the corrugated fields above our home, 
it coats the room with streams of amber, 
can’t shake ’em loose, won’t slide off; 
I let their belly-warm glow 
seal my every jangling corner, 
so though I doubted yellow, 
with your help I’ve learned 
the kindness of the color. 

—Published previously in Athens Parent Magazine (Athens, Georgia, 2003); appears here with poet’s permission.

Gary Grossman,

Professor Emeritus of Ecology at University of Georgia, has poetry published in 38 literary reviews, creative nonfiction in Tamarind Literary Magazine, and flash fiction and poetry in MacQueen’s Quinterly, which nominated his microfiction “Mindfulness” for the Best Small Fictions 2023 anthology.

For 10 years Gary wrote the “Ask Dr. Trout” column for American Angler. His first poetry book, Lyrical Years, is available from Kelsay Press, and his second, What I Meant to Say Was..., will be released by Impspired Press (~December 2023). His graphic novel My Life in Fish: One Scientist’s Journey is available from: http://www.garygrossman.net/my-life-in-fish-one-scientists-journey/

Author’s website: www.garygrossman.net

And his writing blog: https://garydavidgrossman.medium.com/