Pauline Dutton

Dressing Duplex

After Jericho Brown by Pauli

I hated girls whose moms made cookies, curled their hair,

And bought them ruffled dresses.

No one bought me ruffled dresses.

The dresses Daddy brought hit my ankles.

Chubby girls wore ankle hitting dresses.

A girl in a book said she owned 100 dresses.

I drew 100 dresses at my desk in school.

The girls oohed and ahhed at those drawn dresses.

I oohed and aahhed at the dress a friend’s mom bought.

It was blue and green had a white pique collar and fit.

I wore that dress with the white pique collar

At kickball when Donnie asked me to the movies.

I wore a pink dress when the man I would marry invited me to the movies.

I bought an apple green dress when I thought it was time he asked.                                         

When I wore that apple green dress he asked.

I hated girls whose mom’s made cookies and curled their hair.