what they could have been

in the window
of the storefront, the lifeless
curves
of mannequins
stand upright in the dim
snowy
glare
of street lamps
as we walk by.
they have little to say
in their absence
of clothing,
of coats or furs draped
across their stiff
shoulders.
smileless and aloof in
manner
and yet we turn our
eyes to them,
there is still some
hope of beauty
in the shape
and promise
of what they could have
been.