Ghosts and Fashion by Elaine Equi

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend August 6, 2015   Ghosts and Fashion   Elaine Equi

Although it no longer has a body to cover out of a sense of decorum,   the ghost must still consider fashion—   must clothe its invisibility in something if it is to “appear” in public.   Some traditional specters favor the simple shroud—   a toga of ectoplasm worn Isadora-Duncan-style swirling around them.   While others opt for lightweight versions of once familiar tee shirts and jeans.   Perhaps being thought-forms, they can change their outfits instantly—   or if they were loved ones, it is we who clothe them like dolls from memory.            Copyright © 2015 by Elaine Equi. Used with permission of the author. About This Poem   “Call me superficial, but if anyone tells me they’ve seen a ghost (or an angel or an alien), my first question is, ‘What were they wearing?’ For the record, I’m quite sure I have seen a ghost—my grandfather after he passed away. He was wearing his usual work clothes, a short-sleeved shirt with baggy grey pants. I’m surprised he wasn’t smoking his customary cigar.” —Elaine Equi   Elaine Equi is the author of Sentences and Rain (Coffee House Press, 2015). She teaches at New York University and in the MFA Program at The New School in New York City, where she lives. Poetry by Equi   Sentences and Rain (Coffee House Press, 2015) "For My Grandmother’s Perfume, Norell" by Nickole Brown "Ghost" by Paul Mariani "Ghosts That Need Reminding" by Dana Levin Poem-a-Day   Launched during National Poetry Month in 2006, Poem-a-Day features new and previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets on weekdays and classic poems on weekends. Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.   You are receiving this e-mail because you elected to subscribe to our mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038