Making do

There was no call for hats,
the milliner turned her hand
to wartime accessories,
drew up a pattern, cut out
pieces from American cloth,
stitched seams, put in gussets;
the handbags were all-in-one,
well-balanced, strong-handled,
inside - underneath purse,
handkerchief, lipstick, gloves -
a concealed space big enough
to hold a battered cardboard box,
a vacant stare, a buckled mask.


Helen Overell

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