Other People’s Clothes
by Erynn Wakefield
Dressed in black or blue, you can’t drape yourself in humour or tie the shoelaces of wit. As much as you try, the collar of your crewneck isn’t kindness as much as it is sour cotton. And even dressed in red, your envy seeps through the fabric. Yet, you can’t stop putting a belt around courage and buttoning up authenticity. Until the arms of your shirt don’t reach your wrists and your ankles become dry from the cold. “These pants are just a little tight,” you say. As if you didn’t suck on air in order to zip them up. Everyone knows your mask reeks of delusion, yet you wear it like a uniform. You look to the only person who knows you, someone who knows nearly nothing. “I can’t stop putting on other people’s clothes,” you whine. But not without someone else’s cry and the pain of a lady you saw last week; bunched between your toes like lint from socks that were once your own.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Erynn Wakefield (b. 2000) is an American writer and photographer based in New York City. She grew up all over the United States, as her mother was in the military. Now 23 years old, Erynn has been published in multiple publications for writing and photography including, The Write Launch, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, and Prometheus Dreaming. Erynn is now working on her very first solo exhibition. @erynnwakefield and @shotbyairr on Instagram.