Her Coat Closet Inventory
 
puffy black parka
bulky as winter is long
slick as a cold heart
 
Henry's hiking boots
nudging her much smaller ones
he's not coming back
 
cap knitted by Gram
seed-stitched teal stripe on navy
warm as memory
 
thin dollar-store gloves
fraying at the fingertips
the pair she can’t lose
 
NPR tote bag
big enough to bear books, bread,
her share of bad news
 
Jean Kreiling
 
If you have any thoughts about this poem,  Jean Krieling  would be pleased to hear them