i miss the days wandering around Macy’s with you
committed to the 75% off rack
thumbing through mostly abandon off season shirts
a button missing
a zipper broken
my mom was a seamstress
a button or zipper was what she learned at age 8
when we liked something we held it up to her and then me
the price always below $10 to keep it as a contender to come home with us
i light a candle for you mom
next to the photo of you and i
faces pressed against each other
with bright smiles
when life’s biggest decision for us was thumbing through the 75% off rack
bringing home our bargains with a missing button.