dress

It's not vain to enjoy the experience of clothing,
to wrap yourself in clean fabric,
the shape and hang and swish and strings swinging back and forth amuse and distract,
make you stand a little straighter,
make you feel a little stronger,
let you pretend you belong amongst the beautiful people.

To put on a soft blanket shirt when you need no fuss,
or to put on a suit that stands you up and commands your concentration,
or to decorate yourself with colors and patterns so your sad self can only whisper while outside your clothing shouts.

It's not vain to enjoy a look,
being someone else,
or to enjoy pretending,
or to sometimes care about the outside when you want to shut out the inside.