The saleslady said
“Ladies of a certain age shouldn’t wear red”
An odd thing to ban
Why not black, or gray, or tan?
It’s true that my complexion no longer shows
The smoothness that society poetically calls glow.
My breasts may tend to slightly sag
Another thing society deems bad
So why should red now be forbidden?
Could it be because I’m less likely to be bidden?
I now do what I think is right
And occasionally my words may bite
I’ve had lovers and worn rubies
I may even have smoked a doobie
But a blanket ban on red?
Surely something else would be better instead
A ban on shame
Or taking the blame
I’ll wear red whenever I want
Think of it as a taunt