She flicked her fingers across the hangers
Finding something to wear
Too old
Too small
Doesn't fit
Doesn't go with anything
A heavy sign escaped her
She closed the door
And turned away
Then something made her turn back
She opened the door again
How many times had she done this
Tried it on, hung it back up
Closed the door on the choices
Kept it because one day ......
Now she looked with fresh eyes
And began the process of purging
The little black dress she had loved
Now gathering dust
The dress from the wedding
She would not wear again
The coat that could no longer be done up
The maxi dress, bought on an impulse
They all served to remind her
How her body had changed
Each time she had tried them on
And felt a bit less than beautiful
Too tight, too small, too done
Because they were just not right
Or didn't reflect her now
It was time she decided
She emptied the hangers
Of the ones that no longer belonged
Put the clothes in a bag
And closed the door again
It amazed her how liberating this felt
To be rid of the trappings
That no longer gave her joy
Or made her feel good
To let go of the stuff
She had once believed
Signified who she was
Wrapped in linen or cotton or wool
A false persona, masked by garments
She snuggled into her favourite jumper
And her hippy skirt
And at once, felt good
Felt at home
Felt like her
She dropped the bag off
At her local op shop
Flung her hair back
Swished her skirt
And walked away
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