Injured Pride

Prompt: You are a reduced tag item at a dept. store. They keep marking you down and no one buys you. Tell how you feel as your value goes down, down, down. . .(Rubiyat "Poetry Formats and Styles")


I’m a blue cashmere sweater, and here is my tale:
Once costly and coveted, now I’m on sale.
The March days are warmer, the nights are but cool
And all have forgotten cruel winter’s harsh gale.

I stick out my chest and throw wide my soft arms
To offer each shopper my delicate charms
But humans are fickle, they want what is new
So my self-esteem suffers irreparable harms.

Once again I’m reduced - and tossed, hanger-less, fro
To the mark-down bin’s cesspool; how low can I go?
Now I’m only five dollars, the shame of my days!
I’m just grateful there’s no clothes in here that I know.