It's Still Life

A Housewife in a Tweed Coat and Sensible Shoes

She ponders herself in the hallway mirror,
powders her nose, just a bit –
doesn’t want to look like a flour bin.
Slicks on Copper Penny lipstick,
then rubs her lips together,
spreading it thin and even.
She puts on her best woollen hat,
pushes a long pin through into her hair –
it holds it in place,
just in case the wind blows.
She lifts her grey tweed coat
from the question mark hook,
gives it a quick sniff (onions, she thinks),
and then pushes her arms into its bulk.
Nobody steps outside in house-clothes,
nobody wants to appear less than they are.
Her feet slip into her best comfy shoes,
pulls her stockings up a notch, and then
refastens them into her girdle’s straps.
One last look, because mirrors never lie,
and she steps outside to buy
a loaf of bread down the street.

NovPAD Day 7: An Occupation