My Father’s Clothes--By Maralee Gerke--United States

My Father’s Clothes

My father’s clothes were

his prized possessions.

He wore them like armor

starched and ironed.

She acted as if the clothes and

shoes could swallow her.

Dumped his dresser

on the floor and filled bags for the mission.

Buzzing with hysterical

intent she would blurt out,

“He wasn’t even sick! “

“What size shoes do you wear?”

“These are brand new!”

She stuffed his life

into bundles and bags,

but no matter how hard she tried

she couldn’t give away her grief.

Maralee Gerke lives and writes in Madras, Oregon. She is and avid reader and gardener. She describes herself as a work in progress. Her poems have been published in Calyx, Exit Thirteen, Moonset, Bathtub Gin, Anthology, Nerve Cowboy, Avocet, and Tigers Eye. She has published two books of poems and has had poetry and prose accepted in several anthologies. Her work can be seen online at Shadow Poetry, Long Story Short, and Moontown Café. She recently recorded 4 poems for the Oregon Poetic Voices Project. They can be heard at oregonpoeticvoices.org One of her poems “Refuge”, was recently selected to be printed as a limited edition broadside by the Penland School of Crafts.