my clothes
brenda flynn
My father told me to cherish my name
As it spoke of centuries of pride and valor.
As the years passed, and I had many names,
I wondered how it would feel to have had only one.
Women move and change and put on new clothes
With each new dawn of life
Yet men remain solid and strong, with but one suit to wear
No hyphens required, no explanations of who and when
What is my name, I wondered,
What should it have been, or what should it be?
The struggle continues as the moon rises once again.
My clothing is different now
The tattered rags traded for new rags, though stains are beginning to appear
I wonder when I can shed the clothes for nakedness
Who will be there to see me, who will be there to know me as I am
Under all these clothes.
about the author
Brenda Flynn is a freelance artist and writer living in north central Florida. She has been involved in many public art projects and delights in what she terms, “creating affordable art” for collectors who enjoy having original pieces but recoil at having to pay thousands for it. She continually writes travel articles, having been all over the United States and Europe, and filters out her feelings through journals and poetic ramblings. “Everyone has pain, and everyone has joy…it's those of us who strive to share that find the true meaning of being human,” she states. Her website is www.brendaflynn.com, and she can be reached at ahoymatey@rocketmail.com.
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