Love Advice in a Fitting Room

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was the best I could come up with 

after nothing else worked and still, 

you had that hopeful look tinged 

with dread that girls get in the fitting room

when they try to cram their size ten frame 

into a size six dress.

This is meant to be! They’ll lose 

weight, do anything. They see 

its potential and just know this time 

it will work. Eyes filled with resolve, 

they get the dress past their waistline,

contort themselves until 

they can hardly breathe, and still 

the zipper breaks or the fabric rips or both

—that’s how you were.

But when I handed you 

a dress four sizes too small,

you said don’t be ridiculous 

this isn’t close to a fit; I asked, 

then why keep trying with him? 

Your pupils billowed open

and at last, that cinched it. 

                                         A version of this poem was first published by The Crab Orchard Review 

                                                                   and nominated for Best of the Net 2026