by Sally Zakariya
Handed down and down
faded to palest purple
now tissue-soft cotton
A slit in the seam
allows a quick glimpse
of that intimate intersection
of love and creation
hers to do with what she will
or so we thought for years
until the high court snatched
that liberty away
Sleepy, she smooths
the thrice-owned nightgown
snuggles down under
the supposed safety
of a heavy blanket
dreams of owning
her own self
Sally Zakariya’s poetry has appeared in 100 publications and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Her publications include Something Like a Life, Muslim Wife, The Unknowable Mystery of Other People, Personal Astronomy, and When You Escape. She edited and designed a poetry anthology, Joys of the Table, and blogs at www.butdoesitrhyme.com.