NARTHEX
The bridesmaids gather around the bride
in the dim mouth of the church
their dresses the hue of a setting sunset
debating if they should wear the straps
or tuck them in. Before the bride can open
her mouth to answer, an older woman —
someone’s aunt, someone’s authority
steps in before the sentence could form.
Straps, she says, will ensure modesty.
Outside, the bells are warming up.
Inside, every woman is adjusting
a piece of fabric, a new warning
their bare shoulders a new danger
a weapon against themselves.
Kassandra Vilchis