Walking on
well-worn
cement
sidewalks

staring
into
now-empty
windows

of once-
popular
department
stores

filled
with
heavy glass
shelves

and chrome
racks now
layered
with dust,

random
items,
sun-faded
labels.

There
was a
time
when

fabrics
were
selected
with care

and cut
with
precision
and pride.

When the
lines of
fabrics
flowed

gracefully
and details
were
important.

Each button
was made
with great
care

and colors
were chosen
with passion
and thought.

 

Janet Cormier is a painter, writes prose and poetry, and performs comedy. Janet prefers different and original over pretty. She loves collecting stuff, but cleaning not so much. Janet also talks to strangers. A lot. Her column appears weekly on Oddball Magazine.