The Silk Kimono Jacket
is tossed in this bargain box,
its sleeves tangle in waves
of faded silk swans and blooming
flower patterns, purple and peach run
from the horn of the iris’s trumpet.
Many have worn it…
the wedding jacket of a milk maiden,
a gift for a mistress,
or a woman’s city coat.
Balled lint lines the pelican pockets,
a crumpled tissue, a wooden button, a hairpin,
Women grew in and out of this fabric
like the billowing of sails on erratic seas.
Cranes and flowers reeled together,
a rhymed pattern of seasoned colors.
The musky silk shimmers–in my hand, a palette of lives.
The years of wear are many…
I could settle on a lower price,
but it is not the bargain I want,
just the tight weave of memories.
About the Poet:
Laurie Kuntz recently retired after 30 years of teaching. She is now a film producer. Her experiences living in Asia and working with displaced people are reflected in much of her work.
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