Groundhog Day
This poem appears in Len Lawson's collection Chime.
It has been widely requested and taught by supporters, creative writing professors, workshop facilitators, and high school teachers. A PDF version of the poem is available here. Lesson plans and workshop resources are
soon to come.
Groundhog Day
by Len Lawson
Wake up
Shower
Brush teeth and hair
Lotion with cocoa butter
Get dressed
Drink coffee
Drive to work
Drive home
Stopped by police
Demanded to show license
Ask why
Get cursed out
Curse back
Reach for license
Dead
Wake up
Shower
Brush teeth and hair
Lotion with cocoa butter
Get dressed
Drink coffee
Drive to work
Drive home
Stopped by police
Demanded to show license
Be polite
Explain you have a family
Be polite
Explain you are reaching for license
Dead
Wake up
Shower
Brush teeth and hair
Lotion with cocoa butter
Get dressed
Drink coffee
Drive to work
Drive home
Stopped by police
Demanded to show license
Be polite
Ask how cop’s day is going
Get angry at response about too many niggers on the streets
Attempt reasonable conversation on diversity
Get cursed out
Screamed at to show license
Do nothing
Get jerked by collar
Stay frozen
Gun aimed in your face
Stay frozen
Not even blinking
Get dragged out of car
Attempt to stand
Dead
Wake up
Shower
Brush teeth and hair
Lotion with cocoa butter
Get dressed
Drink coffee
Drive to work
Drive home
Stopped by police
Demanded to show license
Drive
Drive
Drive
Get chased by cop
then another then another then another
until you lead a troop of squad cars through town
Poke head out of window
Laugh maniacally
Smile at chopper overhead
Drive onto the interstate
Get cheered by other black men standing by
Remember your family
See your wife’s face crying at her TV
See your child asking Mommy tough questions about Daddy
See your phone ring in the car
Answer with Baby I love you
Get asked Why are you doing this
Answer It’s the only way out
Hear screams of Come home
Hear child yell Come home Daddy
Hear chopper blades & sirens with wife’s yelling
Stop the car
Get out
Raise hands over your head
Say to police I want to go home
Dead
Wake up
Shower
Brush teeth and hair
Lotion with cocoa butter
Get dressed
Drink coffee
Drive to nearest pawn shop
Buy gun
Drive to work
Leave gun in car
Drive home
Stopped by police
Demanded to show license
Grab gun under seat
Point at approaching cop
Relish in cop's fear before screaming Is this what you want!
Point gun at self
Dead
Wake up
Shower
Brush teeth and hair
Lotion with cocoa butter
Get dressed
Drink coffee
Drive to work
Look up cop online
Research his credentials
Search for his family on social media
Find his wife
Find their address
Leave work
Go to cop’s home
Greet cop’s wife at the door
Explain that her husband has killed you each of the last five days
Ask why her husband hates black people
Ask how you can convince her husband
that you are a man with a family who wants a bright future for his child
See three police cars pull up behind you
See her husband get out
Realize she called the police before you approached the door
Raise hands and kneel to the ground
Close your eyes and whisper to your wife you love her
Get beat down by police on the pavement
Get thrown into cop car
Feel broken bones and see with blurry vision out of only one eye
Ask cop how many black men he has killed
Hear him cackle and say Not enough
All of them if I could
Do not survive car ride to jail
Dead
Wake up
Kiss your wife
Kiss your child
Brush teeth and hair
Observe the wisdom and grace of the scarf on your wife’s head
Lotion with cocoa butter
Remember the smell of your child moments after leaving the womb
Get dressed
Hug your wife
Hug your child
Cry at the sight of your child’s bright face
Pick up child in your arms
Notice the eyes, nose, and smile like yours
Tell your family you won’t be home tonight
Hear your shocked wife ask why
Answer through tears I don’t know
Maybe one day
But maybe not today
