
Jacket 1
It’s there, on the chair
The red fleece jacket
With hood and drawstring waist
That I don’t want to wear
Don’t want to keep.
It’s warm and soft when I put it on
But far too big for me
Drowned in a red sea
Shapeless, I feel
A baggy, saggy, faceless entity.
I look at the jacket
On the chair
In limp, loose folds of red, and seams
This isn’t the jacket of my dreams.
It’s theirs to wear
Not mine to keep
Their tears to cry
Not mine to weep.
It’s there, on the chair
The red fleece jacket
With hood and drawstring waist
That I don’t want to wear
Don’t want to keep
So I’ve put a price on its head
To let it go free
To someone who wants it
But who wants me?
Jacket 2
It’s there, on the chair
The red fleece jacket
With hood and drawstring waist
That I don’t want to wear
Don’t want to keep.
It’s warm and soft when I put it on
But far too big for me
Drowned in a red sea
Shapeless, I feel
A baggy, saggy, faceless entity.
I look at the jacket
On the chair
In limp, loose folds of red, and seams
This isn’t the jacket of my dreams.
It’s not my layer
These aren’t my lies
With drawstring waist
And nylon ties.
It’s not my jacket
They’re not my dreams
These aren’t my ties
They’re not my seams.
So I leave the jacket
On the chair
To go my way
While they go theirs.
Jacket 3
Now it hangs upon the door
That red fleece jacket
That I didn’t want to wear
Didn’t want to keep.
It’s warm and soft when I put it on
And not too big for me
Warmed in a red sea
Shapeless no more
No baggy, saggy faceless entity.
I look at the jacket
On the door
In limp, loose folds of red and seams
It’s not the jacket of my dreams
But just a layer to keep me warm
From frozen looks
And glares of scorn.
It is my jacket
With hood and waist
To wear awhile
From place to place.
Jacket 4
What next?
Jacket 5
Jacket
In?
Jacket 6
No!
(c) Maggie ‘Glad the Poet’ Baker, 2003
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