Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Yes Ma'am!


What Do Women Want?

I want a red dress.
I want it flimsy and cheap,
I want it too tight, I want to wear it
until someone tears it off me.
I want it sleeveless and backless, 
this dress, so no one has to guess
what's underneath. I want to walk down
the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store
with all those keys glittering in the window, 
past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old
donuts in their cafe, past the Guerra brothers
slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly, 
hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders. 
I want to walk like I'm the only
woman on earth and I can have my pick.
I want that red dress bad. 
I want it to confirm
your worst fears about me, 
to show you how little I care about you 
or anything except what 
I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment
from its hanger like I'm choosing a body
to carry me into this world, through
the birth-cries and the love-cries too, 
and I'll wear it like bones, like skin, 
it'll be the goddamned
dress they bury me in. 

-Kim Addonizio




Until next time, I hope you find your red dress!