‘Dressing My Mother For Her Grandson’s Wedding’ by Jane Clarke

A darker shade of blue than her eyes,
the dress has slept for years in the wardrobe

next to the clothes she won’t let me give away.
She raises her arms for me, though she’s forgotten

why she can’t stay by the fire with her collie.
A new pair of tights. An old pair of shoes,

softened at the toes and heels.
She winces at the touch of the hair brush.

No sign of her pearls.
I dredge through photos and medicines

on top of the chest of drawers,
find them coiled around her engagement ring.

She chooses a scarf, red as her lipstick.
I tell her there’s a beautiful woman in the mirror –

she laughs,
I might find a new man at the wedding,

and then in a whisper, Sorry Charlie
as if he’s with us in their bedroom, listening.

From issue #15: spring/summer 2023

About the Author
Jane Clarke is the author of three poetry collections, The River, When the Tree Falls and A Change in the Air (Bloodaxe Books 2015, 2019 & 2023). Find out more at www.janeclarkepoetry.ie.