Ugly Shirt Poem by Ames Petrossi

my too loud shirt
diverts eyes from
Saturn ringed eyes
a galaxy of sadness.
so dramatic.

it’s not that bad!
she laughed
not cruelly
but in truth
because it wasn’t.

(if my arms were bigger
my hips wouldn’t show
if my abs were harder
my soft skin wouldn’t glow)

chin pressed hard to chest
& now I can see the print
birds of paradise
art deco foliage
please don’t take me seriously
but please do.

I know her time but,
what about dappled shadows
on gum stuck streets & dimpled cheeks?
what about hyperventilating
beneath torn sheets?

(if my chest was stronger
my heart would stay still
if my legs were hairier
their shape wouldn’t thrill)

here’s the thing:
we write ourselves
into and out of moments
embellish interpretations
skew memories
indulge in security
blips on the timeline
that felt like eternity

the story will end
like this shirt
on some rack
in a second hand store filled
with an aroma familiar & disturbing,
the comingled odors of too many bodies.