You know when the power goes out,
and blackness seems to stick to
your face,
the air seems thick?
She was feeling the walls closing in on her
like that darkness does.
Suffocating from the same scene daily
for months.
In a move of desperation, she shot to
her closet looking for something bold
(bolder than she felt at that moment).
The gold lurex seemed to spark
at the touch of her fingertips.
At once,
she envisioned that sultry bar,
The one set in 1950’s Milan
with the shadow and amber-lit nooks.
Yes, this was the dress for the evening,
that low neckline.
Her curves, and silky smooth collarbone would
work together like a spell.
She arrived and floated on her high heels
sipping Campari and soda.
This was a place where a woman could be
honest with her desires enough to
dance with anyone she chose to.
Was it the dress, or was it how the
dress made her feel and act that shaped her confidence?
She felt so restful and rejuvenated,
even taking a moment to re-apply her lipstick
in the gilded bathroom mirror.
Gazing at her figure, and looking down,
she glided her hands over her hips and
the shimmering fabric of that dress.
She was deeply pleased with the choices
she made for her evening.
The world was hers!
The darkness departed,
those walls had fallen away at last.
_______________________________
Photograph by Andrea Gruber-Ainz
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