Selma, Alabama | Google Maps
You may choose
To sleep in on a Tuesday
Roll late out of bed when you hear your sister call,
saying what you doing girl—don’t you know what’s on about?
you may never get to say no
you may have yourself a daddy-man
you may be sick, you may be poor
you may have nothing left to give, and still you have to give it all
it ain’t up to you.
Only thing you got, Child
is one day to use your voice
better use it while you can.
Raise your voice.
Catch a ride uptown
or even take the bus
or walk it, if you must,
even barefoot and pregnant, with a child on each arm.
Send them to wait in the vestibule
while you do it.
Then you go inside
sign your name and show your picture
and walk into the voting both where
You. May. Choose.
—
150 words
This has been an edition of What Pegman Saw. To read more stories inspired by the prompt, click here.
As of today’s writing, women in Alabama can still vote.
k. Rawson 
A powerful voice, Karen, hoping somebody to find their voice. Like it, and your new style of storytelling.
LikeLike
Thanks Kelvin, I’m glad you liked it.
LikeLike
Yep, that’s a good one. Powerful without overwhelming
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much. I was trying to hit the right not and gratified to hear it worked for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed,.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A message for the locals,to get off their behinds, pay attention and do what’s important, that resonates in this country (the US) as well. Love the chiding voice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! No should be complacent if they have a voice in government.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How embarrassing. Thought we were in Madagascar still. It’s been a crazy week!
Selma makes more sense with your piece, since so much was done by MLK’s movement, to protest and overturn the oppressive voter suppression tactics, used by whites against blacks. And the young need to be reminded that those privileges, now acknowledged as rights, were not handed over on a silver platter, but pried from unwilling hands.
As for today’s Alabama–stop stealing headlines, that rightly belong to Florida! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
No worries Andrea. I was a little confused with the first comment and now it makes sense!
We cannot be complacent. It’s easy to forget these rights have not been around for long. Women in the US earned the vote less than 100 years ago. And voter suppression and gerrymandering continue to this day.
What is going on in Florida? I mean besides the antics of Florida Man, who seems to pull some new and crazy stunt every day. 😉 Just kidding… I see there were hacked voting machines?! Yikes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup. Just the Russians. Nothing to worry about. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol, is that all? Nothing to see here, everyone move along.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really powerful. I like your use of repetition and the way you play with meter. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you kindly.
LikeLike
I REALLY liked it. Actually thought of posting it on Facebook.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m really glad you liked it. I had a feeling you would.
LikeLike
I absolutely love where you went with this! Perfect tone and, yes, meter…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh thanks so much Dale! Glad it hit the spot I was aiming for 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I use to get on the elevator with a man each morning who would say, “I wish I didn’t have to go to work today.” One day I looked at him, “You don’t.” He looked back and said, “What?” I said, “You get to choose any one day not to go to work. After that, they may choose to fire you, but you do get to choose once.” He never rode the elevator again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a great story. I hope he took up surfing and spends his evenings sipping rum drinks while making wood carvings. Which come to think of it, sounds like a great idea 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting, Scott.
LikeLike
This is fabulous, Karen. Very well done! There are choices that should never be taken for granted, or they might be taken. Away.
LikeLike
So true Na’ama! Thanks for reading and thanks for your kind words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 My pleasure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The right to vote is a powerful thing. This piece has great emotion and strength of purpose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Voting is indeed a powerful thing!
I got so busy the past couple of days I’m just now remembering you couldn’t find a photosphere this week, which is a bummer. I hope you find some time to feed the muse in some other way. All work and no play, as they say…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, it gave me a chance to write a flash fiction story for Sunday Photo Fiction, which I’ve been neglecting even worse than Pegman.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Super! I will look for it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was such a powerful read
WPS RIP
LikeLike
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and then leave such a heart-warming comment. I’m glad you liked it.
LikeLike
Oh, wow! That is possibly the best story/poem of yours that I’ve read. You made me think, “I wish I could write like that!”
The voice is wonderful – I can hear it spoken by a person of colour even though you haven’t tried to represent the spoken sounds literally – which was a great call. Just the rhythm of the words gives everything you need.
It’s an oblique take on the struggle for the right to vote, and it’s really emotionally involving.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw Penny, I’m so touched. I’m delighted with your kind words. I don’t know if it in any way measures up to your high esteem of it–but I love your comment “oblique” take. I was feeling a little subversive 😉
LikeLike
I really loved this story – the voice, the language and the take on the current anti-abortion vote in Alabama. I think you’ve brought warmth and humanity to such a contested subject. Its well done
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for your kind words! I’m glad you liked it.
LikeLike