Tuesday, August 23, 2011

“Hemming—No Hawing”


    A thread at the hem   
    pulled by fretting fingers out of carelessness   
    offered little resistance   
    as it reversed the zigzag    
    separating what was once unified   
    the pants are not ruined   
    no need for tossing them aside   
    a temporary repair—   
    tape running around the edge   
    gives a false sense of completeness   
    the illusion of security   
    buying only a little time   
    for tape can’t get wet    
    or resist heat   
    someone must run a new thread   
    through the nearly invisible eye of the needle   
    a steady hand and mind   
    focused upon stitching, repairing   
    mending what’s been rent    

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman

No comments:

Post a Comment