I Want to Wear a Dress with Lemons All Over It by F.C. Malby

I want to wear a dress with lemons all over it,
a bright yellow citrus burst of colour like the
pansies in the garden. The brazen cheer of it,
the rebelliousness with which it stands out
against the grey and drudge of news bulletins
and long faces, people in their houses, locked
away with slippers, computers fixed to bodies
like combat clothing. Ready for war but not yet
called up, fuelled on coffee and vodka with a lick
of cynicism and delayed hope. The blackbird sings,
establishes itself as the Beethoven among birds,
competes with the Woodlark, Thrush, Skylark and
Robin. Song that pierces the dawn, punctuating
thoughts of another day, another unsent email
dishes rising in dank sinks, laundry spills
out of baskets waiting to be slipped against
flesh or folded and stacked, but the only things
folding in these times are dreams and jobs. Doors
close as we wait for a window to chink open.
Somewhere there must be a place for a dress
with lemons all over it, if not here, then there.
F.C. Malby writes novels, short fiction and poetry. Her work has been widely published online and in print. Her stories have won competitions and she was nominated for Non Poetry Publication of the Year in the Spillwords Press 2021 Awards. She can be found at fcmalby.com or @fcmalby