"Ghosts and Fashion" by Elaine Equi

In honor of National Poetry Month, I have presented special works by selected poets each Monday in April (previously here, here, and here). Our final poem this month is the delightful but thought-and-emotion-provoking "Ghosts and Fashion" by Elaine Equi.

Ghosts and Fashion
by 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.