Instructions by Lucia Semenoff

soft winter light shadows
lavender on the wall
hot oatmeal breakfast
lemon tea on the stove
 
freshly starched rose-laces
steaming iron in hand
uniform collar, cuffs, ribbon
whiteness anew for each day
 
wool leggings I wear itchy
under my dress heat
baba says girls need extra
protection
against angry storm winds
 
notebooks, ink pens, ruler  
navy-blue bag at the door
that morning lingered away
sooner
fifty years ago, today
 
Spring, 2026
​

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About Lucia Semenoff
Lucia lives and works in Calgary. Currently her focus is on creating snapshot-poems based on her life experiences and memories.