National Poetry Month 2 of 30: Witness
April is National Poetry Month. Again this year, inspired by Mary Lee Hahn, I'm going to join other poetry bloggers (view links in sidebar) taking the challenge to share poetry each day during the month of April. For thirty days my hope is to write a new poem each day. The first two years I took this challenge I wrote any poem that found me. This year, however, I've decided to try to write a poem about an object each day. If you've read Billy Collins' poem, The Lanyard, you may have noticed the way he took an object to tell a much more meaningful story of his relationship with his mother. My hope is to find the deeper significance in the things around me.
This week: objects of memory
Witness
Every day
the wooden ring
rested on her lap
she sewed and stitched
stitched and sewed.
As she worked
the circle frame
pulled the pieced fabric
of clothing outgrown,
clothing worn out.
Across the years
I sat beside her
as she joined
our stories,
quilt after quilt.
I watched her,
the round frame
resting on her lap,
she sewed and talked,
sewed and listened.
Now the worn circle
stands against the wall
a quiet witness
to the time we spent
together.
© Cathy L. Mere 2014
This week: objects of memory
Every day
the wooden ring
rested on her lap
she sewed and stitched
stitched and sewed.
As she worked
the circle frame
pulled the pieced fabric
of clothing outgrown,
clothing worn out.
Across the years
I sat beside her
as she joined
our stories,
quilt after quilt.
I watched her,
the round frame
resting on her lap,
she sewed and talked,
sewed and listened.
Now the worn circle
stands against the wall
a quiet witness
to the time we spent
together.
© Cathy L. Mere 2014
One for grandpa, one for grandma. It will be interesting to see what you choose next. I love that image of the quiet witness.
ReplyDeleteB.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!!
ReplyDeleteForget learning how to letter box, you need to learn how to quilt! Let's talk!
I am a retired quilter and I love this poem. This makes me miss it. I love the thought of joining stories! That is exactly what scrap quilting is all about.
ReplyDeleteYour poems evoke so many memories for me. This one makes me picture my grandmother- she had a wooden ring like this that she used for making crewel pictures. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI have many family quilts and different relatives did quilt, a grandmother and mother and aunt the ones I most watched. I too love your "joining stories". Lovely metaphor, Cathy, & I liked the repetition used, so apt for stitching.
ReplyDeleteI love this - and how she told stories along with quilting. Begs the question - which part is the story - her talking or the quilt? Beautiful Cathy
ReplyDeleteSo lovely and layered, Cathy. And I, too, adore the "quiet witness."
ReplyDeleteOh did you bring back the memories... You caught it all with your beautiful words..
ReplyDelete