I saw her coming up
the walk, lugging her suitcase.
She was wearing one of
those peasant blouses—I could
see the puffy sleeves and the
ribbon bow.  I was in the house
peering out the window while her
father went to greet her.  They
hadn’t seen each other
in thirteen years, so I let them
meet alone.  Meantime, I
rummaged through my closet
searching for a blouse that
mirrored hers, and whipped off
the t-shirt I’d been wearing,
punched my arms into the blouse. 
Mine had bells on the tie and
sequins on the bodice. 
When I hugged her, I jingled.

Karen Loeb’s poem “In the Science Museum” won first place in the 2016 Wisconsin People and Ideas contest. For additional poems and stories, click on "learn more" at this link: http://uwec-emeritus-karen-loeb.weebly.com. Orinda, California was originally published in the Connecticut River Review, reprinted here by permission of the author.