White cuffs peek from the green sweater
With my name etched on the right side pocket
In classy, white cursive.
My navy blue slacks get a little tattered at the heels,
and eventually my Reebok Classics look a bit too ‘classic’ to wear.
Running, playing, making friends, playing tag;
My school uniform can’t keep up with me.
White cuffs hidden by a navy blue blazer, but keep
peeking as I keep speaking behind turned teacher’s heads,
Being a pre-teen with my pre-teen friends, who don’t care
if our blazers’ gold buttons break off while trying to catch a football.
The tie color changed, but the letters on it didn’t.
My white cuff sizes went up as my voice went low,
collared shirt now hidden by navy blue sweater.
Full-blown hormones, surrounded by pretty girls,
every turn, every twist, every class, every locker,
girls all over the place! And they think I’m cute?
I can get used to high school and my biggest white cuffs so far.
A bigger, different sweater every year til I’m 18,
and as I graduated I thought the white cuffs on my
button down shirts would be all but eradicated.
For a while, a dormant crowd of white cuffs hung on their
sleeves, that hung on their collars, that hung on their hangers,
that hung on the pole in my closet, and that’s how I liked it.
After 14 years of a shirt and tie, 5 days a week,
the preppy look in my mind mind was canned, and
band tees and Vans kicks were in, and they looked sick!
So my weekend wear became the apparel of my undergrad years,
but I still feared someday I would be an adult that ended up
dressing up for work, no earrings in my ears,
and be the guy in a suit and tie having a beer.
The premonition came true, but much better than I thought,
cause what I feared most isn’t true; In my suit and tie adult life
I don’t feel much sadness or strife. The latest upgrade is the set
of black suits, nice ties and white shirts I wear, day in and day out.
I thought it would make me feel square, lame, or wack,
but a big part of me feels like I’m back on track.
The premonition turned out much better than I thought,
I’m wearing white cuffs again, but I’m more happy than not. – RSM
Rubén Sebastián Muñiz | ∞ 