SHE MADE A FORTUNE WITH THIS DRESS

She made a fortune with
this dress and well deserved it was,
it fits, it flatters, it lets you
move with grace and ease, and
speed it that is what’s needed.
It lets you sit and covers your
knees which lets face are no longer
what they never were, and best
unseen. The tummy is softly draped
and not terribly noticable –
the woman is not a magician.
You look better than you have
in years, better than you had
dared hope you still could.
You remember the woman you were,
the woman you meant to be,
and commit to being it yet,
again.

It goes with the velvet purses
that just two days ago made you
feel like a foolish old woman.
This dress was made for me,
I say out loud. Determined
to deserve it, inspired to
eat the beans and greens that
will keep me alive and make me
look even better in the dress.
Motivated to take my walks,
do what I can to firm up.

I take it out to lunch,
to the drugstore and the grocery,
pick up the mail at the p.o.

I try it on with all my shoes
with every purse and necklace.
My only solid scarf, a chartreuse
velvet that I love that rarely
works with anything. I stand
I sit, I walk around, I swing
my arms. I drive the car,
thinking, I could travel
in this dress,
I could take a car trip.

1/29/15