An old clock's minute needle presses on,
steadfast— tick tick tick. Such permanence
is a privilege: there is comfort
in repetition. The blanket stare
of an ivory wedding dress, draped in lace
and falsettos, meets the gaze of red eyes:
a mockery.
Its anchorage should have been the committed
hearts of two. Instead, serving a life sentence
surrounded by old shoes and empty boxes. Once
simple fabric, now stitched into a compilation
of substantial moments, altered to fit
this very one: realised devotion
will never cease.
Not quite ready to part with the last remnant
of a true love, now displaced, the costume hangs
from cheap plastic, waiting.
Sarah Smith is a published poet, writer, artist, and certified creative arts therapist. Smith lives in Cleveland, Ohio, USA with her husband and three cats. Smith manages a creative arts blog titled Chronicles of a Disillusioned Optimist and also has poetry anthologies available for sale on Amazon. sarahelisabethsmith.wordpress.com