"Redemption"?

While packing, I found a host of bizarre things in my bedroom, including but not limited to: a rape whistle, a clarinet, an unimaginable amount of shiny ribbon, lots of hats, and enough knit gloves to last a lifetime.

I also found a poem entitle "Redemption"? and immediately took a trip down memory lane. Here's an unresolved issue if ever there was one! Maybe three or four years back, my church was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the completion of the building's construction, and so we had a special service where everyone donned 1950s garb and we had a party. It was rather marvelous! My friend and I, being a lot younger than 50, decided to go thrifting for appropriate dresses downtown. We found this store called "Redemption Roses" and decided to give it a try. Most of the stuff was horrible-cut up and covered in screen prints of zombie children and bleeding animals. There was, however, a rack in the back that caught my eye: a row of untouched dresses. In the middle was a bright yellow dress with a full circle skirt, and a cute little collar. It was perfect and it fit perfectly. It also did not have a price tag from the store we were in; it had a $3 tag from D.I., a local thrift store. I was terribly excited until the store manager insisted that I give her $25 for it, $75 if she were to screen print and cut it. I was furious, and left the store in a huff to write this poem.

As soon as I

close my eyes

I know I'll see:

She's wearing my dress!

the perfect yellow dress,

clutching her scissors,

spilling her ink,

twirling the skirt-

and laughing,

flimsy wisps of

bleached-blonde hair

sticking to her face

along with her

triumphant grin

as she surveys

her perfect destruction

of the perfect yellow dress.