Joyful Jacket
for Indira Gibson

sitting upon me
keeping me down
but what do I care

my blue jacket in a chair
you sitting on it
your weight upon it
crushing it

but not at all unlike
petals in abundance
upon petals

like autumn leaves
upon autumn leaves
layer upon layer

like snow fallen upon snow

similarly, weight of what’s lovely
upon a jacket
a gift, a piece of clothes
I cherish

what I cherish
upon what I cherish

instead of being made less
instead of subtracted from
I’m added to

I am made more
by your warm hips

all your weight
upon my warm jacket

however wrinkled or rumpled
just all right with me

however you crush it
however you leave it

as if it had been pressed
made fresh

your sitting upon it
has renewed it

gift given to me
you’ve enhanced
you’ve given to me again, anew

as if you’d worn it
beneath it, as bare as could be
then given it back

full of warmth, your body
full of spices, fragrances

this sort of gift


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2008
8:32 p.m. 23.04.08