Ode to the White Shirt

Long sleeves, short sleeves, sleeveless,

Tailored, loose, in between,

You are knit, 100% cotton, silk,

Different shades, different shapes,

Buttoned, slipover, complicated, easy,

You are crisp or sometimes soft,

Delicate and yet sturdy,

I go to my closet to reach for something else to wear,

You fall into my hand,

Luring me—you devil you,

I’ve let you be the selfish child—

Where the world revolves around you,

You are the star of my closet,

Your brilliance captures me,

White Shirt, you have taken over my closet,

You show my spills, and,

My delicates if I’m not wiser,

Last count, ten white shirts maybe twelve,

You are out of control,

I think...some of you...must go.