into any of her mother’s dresses.
She’d go in the closet
eye the garments, breathing hot breath on them
like silk
watch the fabric beneath her fingers,
those darn dresses
those darn beautiful dresses.
Zipping up she squeezed
first — her breath then –
her chest
nothing would ever zip.
Once she ate a grape all day only a grape
nothing zipped.
Josephine Rosalie would never fit
into any of those dresses
those darn dresses
those darn beautiful dresses.
She could
wear the false jewelry matter of fact
she’d prefer tape it to the body.
This is surgery.
Surgery is more important than fitting in things that don’t fit
like fancy old dresses or shoes
so she’d handle Mamaw’s surgeries in a toy room with a trophy case.
The surgeries were mostly brain, heart, sometimes a limb.
Rhinestone sutures, letter opener
rows of fake pearls held in place by a bandage.
Buttons spilling out once in a while
when somebody moved.
It is important not to move.
Do not disturb the stitches!
Try not to laugh.
But most importantly
do not move.