Day 3 :: The Coat
here, you fix it.
her linen jacket
with torn collar
take out the seams
it’s too tight
it doesn’t fit.
make it fit
butter-soft butterscotch leather
wool ruffles
moreno suit jacket, lined
pink boucle
no longer needed in assisted living
chartreuse raw silk
white ski parka, edged with fur
red plaid car coat
camel cashmere
only childhood memories
curly lamb shrug, estate sale for symphony
waterproof raspberry northface for dog walking
black heavy rubber windbreaker for oregon coast
purple rei fleece for early morning
for now, some things don’t change
only today, i recognize the change
looking at her coats, i see
what has been taken
what she must let go of
what she has lost
what she longs for
only now, i recognize the change
looking at her coats, i see
what i missed
what i didn’t have
what was expected of me
she wants my pendleton jacket
the one that i saved from the throw-away basket in 1969
the one that belonged to her mother
she wants my shirt
she wants my red converse tennis shoes
she wants my life
she wants me to fix hers
“here, you fix it.”
her linen jacket
with torn collar
“take out the seams
it’s too tight
it doesn’t fit.
just make it fit.”
