"whatever’s lost is gained forever"
-Hyam Plutzik
The woman who once wore this dress,
this hot pink sundress, must have
missed her connection in Atlanta.
Which carousel had the flight
attendant said? Finally her
first solo trip where she could feel
like an island, a droplet in the ocean.
Where she’s nothing but eat, sleep, beach.
The dress was for that beach week
that made her seem like she had
a closet of hot pink everything.
I’ll wear it to feel feminine, feminine
is hard for me to wear too. Dress says,
we are fun or looking for fun.
I buy the toiletry kit that traveled with
the dress as well. The size of a cantaloupe.
So much to tell with a toiletry kit, a personal
apothecary so she could stay herself
while traveling—her brands, her lavender,
her forecast, her conditions. This trip,
I’ve decided, she was going natural,
not a single blush or stick, just lip
gloss and lotion to put on a bug bite.
Had to love each of her freckles without
foundation, let go of having her
hair straight and start to love her
wavy look. Her shampoo bottle, full:
not relying on hotel shampoo says
she cared about herself a certain way.
