Alexis Rotella

True?

Every time I wear the green velvet dress with lace collar, Mom says, This is the dress your father gave you.

After taking it off at night, I hang it over the chair, say to myself, This dress is from my father, but I don’t ever remember his hands passing it from his to mine. I only remember the soft green dress appearing in my closet and my mother repeating, Your father gave you this.

Leaves down
crickets switch
to a minor key

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About the Author

Alexis Rotella lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with her ginger boy cat, Colby.

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