"What Do Women Want?"

by Kim Addonizio

I want a red dress. I want it flimsy and cheap, I want it too tight, I want to wear it until someone tears it off me. I want it sleeveless and backless, this dress, so no one has to guess what's underneath. I want to walk down the street past Thrifty's and the hardware store with all those keys glittering in the window, past Mr. and Mrs. Wong selling day-old donuts in their café, past the Guerra brothers slinging pigs from the truck and onto the dolly, hoisting the slick snouts over their shoulders. I want to walk like I'm the only woman on earth and I can have my pick. I want that red dress bad.

I want it to confirm 

your worst fears about me, 

to show you how little I care about you 

or anything except what 

I want. When I find it, I'll pull that garment 

from its hanger like I'm choosing a body 

to carry me into this world, through 

the birth-cries and the love-cries too, 

and I'll wear it like bones, like skin, 

it'll be the goddamned 

dress they bury me in.


Posted in celebration of National Poetry Month

Comments

[dancinfool]

A semi-poetic take on "What women want" is here!

[slickdpdx]

Nice one.