Caught Between

The clock ticks past the hour,

I'm late for this big affair.

This dress, my only flower,

hangs heavy with despair.

The metal teeth, they catch and fray,

a half-way point they choose.

My fingers pull, but cannot sway

the fabric I will lose.

The little tab is cold and hard,

a tiny, sharp refusal.

My breath is caught, my hopes are marred,

by this metallic, cruel.