[Issue 2021.59]

‘Armor’, Devin Miller

Illustration © 2021 Cécile Matthey

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I have loved my armor too long
to feed it to the unhungry belly
of the recycler.

Let me show you the treasures of my closet.

i. raspberries
      Raspberries do not grow on the station,
      but my long white shirt has a red stain
      on its hem, and when I wear it
      I hold the taste of raspberries in my mouth.

ii. the wind
      When I wore my blue dress, the wind touched me
      like it had asked permission and heard
      my resounding yes, and pressed its hands to my body.
      There is no wind here, but the dress remembers.

iii. joy
      I cannot wear my spiked gold heels
      on the mesh floor of the station,
      but I still need the height and the shine,
      the feeling of fizz and laughter.

iv. belief
      There are no more job interviews,
      but when I put on my pinstriped jacket for them,
      people would believe I could do the job.
      I need to believe, now, that I can do the impossible.

I need these things more than I need
functional jumpsuits, practical boots.

How can I go into the wild starred future
without my breastplate of a wool coat
or my gauntlets of soft mittens?
Do not ask me to.

© 2021 Devin Miller

[Issue 2021.59]

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