The Despondent Minds

The Sweater

For Klein

She liked how it looked
Not too flashy, not too plain.
It was black with a few designs
Colors were starting to fade.
It always looked best on him
So he had worn it everyday
"That sweater looks great on you."
That was what she'd always say.
And then one icy evening
She felt a little cold
So he took off his sweater
To protect her from the snow.
"I'm fine." She had lied,
As she suppressed a shiver
But he just rolled his eyes
And put the sweater on her.
"It looks great on you too." He said,
She glanced towards the mirror.
Well, it didn't look quite bad
It did things for her figure.
She kept it for awhile
And smelled it when she missed him
It clothed her at some mornings
Or on a cold, lonely evening.
She gave it back, of course
For on him it looked better
Now, you must be wondering
What's so special about this sweater?

Nothing, actually.

But guess what happens next.
The boy went to college
And the sweater was what he left.
He had to live his life
He had adventures to explore
So he gave her his favorite clothing
And she dare not ask for more.
She loved it cause it smelled like him
It was now the best thing that she owned
He promised he'd come back for her
So she waited, patient and alone.
But he didn't fulfill his promise
Still she waited and waited.
She figured his arrival
Was just a bit belated.
Years passed,
the sweater lost its scent
It lays by her dresser,
The scent of detergent.
He stopped calling,
Never wrote another letter.
The sweater
Was now just a sweater.