I Have This Shirt. . .

Artwork by: Jai' Gullatt

I have this shirt

that I wear as a pajama

I don’t know where I got it from

It’s a hand-me-down

It’s blue

and it says “Calvin Klein Jeans USA”

in white letters

On the seam of the right armpit

there is a hole the size of a half dollar

and two more pennies

are starting to form

on the front

Fifty-two cents worth of holes on a shirt so dingy

I couldn’t even donate it

but it is my favorite shirt

To go to sleep in

sweep the floor in

write a song in

cook my meals in

plan my dreams into reality in

. . . make love to myself in

[What do you know about that?]

And I don’t give a f***

I love this shirt

I have this dress

(that I wear as a dress)

I saw it for $29.99 at Target

I bought it

for $19.99 three weeks later on the clearance rack

It’s tan on top with an empire waist

and a black form fitting bottom

cut just above the knee

The stitching is brand new

and the armpits are still free of sweat marks

This dress is classy

and it is my favorite dress

To go out to the club in

out to a show in

out to dinner in

stand in front of the mirror in

. . . fall in love in

[What do you know about that?]

And I don’t give a f***

I love this dress

There is a man

that I will love as a man

Not as a hero or an accessory

I don’t know where he’ll come from

or what color he’ll be

He will most likely

be a hand-me-down

On some days he will be worn out

on others form fitting

and on others still he will be amazing

to me

To be best friends with

share inside jokes with

make decisions with

share a life with

And he will love me in my 1992 Calvin Klein blue shirt

my tan and black clearance rack Target dress

and everything in between

And I DO give a f***

because I am worth love

And so is he