Ms.

Marchetti
Imitation Exercise #4
3-3-17

My Orange Jacket

sways in a hanger
amongst other garments, stitching undone,
sleeves dirty, hood inside out.
Nothing fills the shirt but the white wire hanger
and the slight scent of an eight year old me. It waits,
zipper zipped all the way up,
the little hook in the collar torn in two,
the soft fur inside waiting for a body to comfort.
Any body would do, but it knows, in ways
I dont understand,
my shape by its folds, by its rips, by its stretches.
Outside the room trees sway in the wind,
clouds begin their constant march,
children shriek with joy.
Yet here, in this closet,
this jacket needs only its memories
to satisfy it, needs only itself to recall the joys
it has witnessed.
Silently, it laughs at the adventures it has been a part of.
It inspires me to
be patient and calm, to enjoy
what has been given to me
instead of wishing for more.

Inspired by Gary Whited