i am old enough
and young enough
to remember 
when we weren’t 
allowed 
to wear pants 
to school.
only dresses
or skirts
or jumpers
from your knees
to the bottom of your
finger tips. 
skinny bare legs
covered half way up
with knee socks,
walking to school
in winter wind,
freezing underneath.
in 6th grade
the rules changed,
girls could wear pants
but only a pants suit,
the top Had to match
the bottom.
my single mother of five
sewed a pants suit for me
and my little sister
mine red hers green
a little gold chain
connected the row
of metallic buttons
one by one
down the front.