It’s time to get dressed

It’s time to go

It’s time to impress

It’s time for the show

“But what to wear?”

He thought with dismay

Every shirt in his closet

Was either black or gray

So he grabbed a red scarf

To brighten his suit

Perhaps that would be dapper

Or perhaps even cute

“No, no” he thought

Cute wasn’t the word

It was the opera, after all

Cute would be absurd!

Would shoes help? Maybe

But they’d have to be just right

The soles would need to be sturdy

The laces had to be tight

How about a hat?

With a great big brim

A tie with stripes

Or a jacket with red trim

No! The hat was silly

The scarf too profound

The tie was ridiculous

And the jacket made him look round

So he settled with dreary

The black and the gray

The only look he knew

The way he dressed every day

The curtain opened

The crowd cheered with passion

He smiled and remembered

They didn’t come for his fashion

January 2, 2023. On the freeway with my husband and nine-month-old daughter. Left lane, 80 MPH, speed of traffic, 30-or-so feet in front a red sedan suddenly veers into its rightmost lane, not realizing another car is right next to them. The driver overcorrects and next thing I know, both cars have struck each other and are spinning out of control - right in front of our trajectory. Glass shattering, smoke billowing - death smiling at high noon. I don't think. There is no time to think. I quickly look to my right lest making the same grave mistake. No issue. I veer right and don't have enough time to check the next lane. I take a leap of faith and veer right again, just missing the demolished vehicles. I don't have the time or peace of mind to consider what meat sandwich my family and I would have become should we have been stopped by those two cars. I haven't imagined how many more cars joined the pileup. I'm still in shock, and full with gratitude that - within that 1.5-second span - I was able to safely move three lanes and avoid what would have happened.

Had to get this off my chest. Thank you for reading.