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.


About this poem
"Call me superficial, but if anyone tells me they've seen a ghost (or an angel or an alien), my first question is, 'What were they wearing?' For the record, I'm quite sure I have seen a ghost-my grandfather after he passed away. He was wearing his usual work clothes, a short-sleeved shirt with baggy grey pants. I'm surprised he wasn't smoking his customary cigar."
-Elaine Equi

About Elaine Equi
Elaine Equi is the author of "Sentences and Rain" (Coffee House Press, 2015). She teaches at New York University and The New School, and she lives in New York City.

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The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day[at]poets.org.


(c) 2015 Elaine Equi. Originally published by the Academy of American Poets, www.poets.org. Distributed by King Features Syndicate