Journal Entry by Joel Montes de Oca
Missed Connections in Savannah
The Hoping Dress
He walked in a minor key;
stopping only at the window
of a small cafe–where clouds
from an inclement sky appeared
to hang from the ceiling.
Sitting alone in a booth, a heavily
made-up woman in a hoping dress
briefly wondered if he was the man
she was waiting for, then looked away.
In her purse was a list of things
she wanted to say, but not to him.
In his pocket was a plan to save
the world–but not hers.
~ Bison Jack
Her Two Cents
The phrase, “hoping dress” is so emotionally charged. To my ears, it sounds like “Sunday best” but with an added dash of desperate manipulation and a sprinkling of faded glory. Hope floats but it’s not always enough to reach the finish line. Was our man with a pocket full of plans wearing his faith on his sleeve? Saving the world isn’t a task for the tender-hearted.
