I donated the dress I wore to my father’s funeral
gave it away
placed it in the bottom of a bag
under an old coat and some shirts
the dress was nice
but I have no need to wear it again
my father died in spring
and it was difficult at a time like that
to figure out what to wear
the lightness of the season counterbalanced
with the needs of a somber occasion
but it wasn't a somber dress
in fact, it was almost exuberant
a large scale print of abstract flowers
splashed across a flouncy skirt
it was sleeveless, with an exaggerated collar
my choice for necklace
was the only jewelry he ever gave me
hematite beads,
once known as blood stone
the strand doubled around to fill in the empty space
created by the open V-neck
his death was a surprise, he wasn’t sick,
they say my father died in his sleep,
peacefully, on a warm spring evening
flowers blooming in the dark outside his window
as colorful as my pretty dress
he hated that dress
so I don't need it anymore
so I don't need it anymore
