Mending

life is the disappearing edge

of a well-worn blanket     fraying     threadbare --

easy to ignore, until the unraveling is beyond repair

 

            sometimes marrow just needs mending:

            a needle and thread and a dimpled thimble

            (if you want to save your thumbs)

 

I am no seamstress, but I can sort thread into saturations

and whipstitch a barrier against the decaying effects of time,

but it takes a master to baste the patterns of memory

 

            because perception muddies the waters,

            makes it difficult to distinguish between

            the fins of fish and the flash of crocodile teeth

 

            for now I am content with a hard line --

everything above is the mystery of tomorrow,

and below is the fading fringe of yesterday

Reviews

[Lydia Shutter]

Splendid imagery and metaphor!

"life is the disappearing edge
of a well-worn blanket fraying threadbare --
easy to ignore, until the unraveling is beyond repair"

the "fading fringe of yesterday" is the embellishment for our tomorrows....and sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between friend and foe (fish and alligator...another wonderful metaphor!) We have to rip the seams to sever bad relationships and rebaste those worth saving. I liked this a lot, Sarah. Lydi**

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, Lydia. I am humbled...

[Traci]

for now I am content with a hard line --
everything above is the mystery of tomorrow,
and below is the fading fringe of yesterday

This closing stanza resonates .... such powerful words. Life experiences and memories remain with us always, even when the "unraveling is beyond repair"

Well done my friend, one of my favorites.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, Traci! Your words always mean so much to me, because I know that you really "get" me. :)

[s y e]

Wow, this is amazing Sarah -- Sorry it's been a while since I've read you, been busy with school and doctors appts.

I loved this, this is amazing. One of my favourites from you so far. Loved the wording and imagery. I adore the way you structure your writes, it flows so smoothly.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, Noodle! I'm so glad you stopped by, you are always a beautiful light on my page!

[Kleio13]

"I am no seamstress, but I can sort thread into saturations". i like this

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, my friend!

[J. J. Nightingale]

I don't know what to write .... I tried ...


Jazz was here ..:)

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much :)

[Jack...]

Somehow our memories hang on if only by a thin thread, spuns of days past, tapestries in our minds of vivid colors in some cases and dull faded fabric in others. It is how we weave these thoughts and dreams together that make up the cloth of our future. Very cool my friend.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much, Jack! I love to see your face on my page!

[Einstein Noodle]

had to look up baste (thought you had switched to cooking) :)
"but it takes a master to baste the patterns of memory" turns out to be (for me) the hinge pin of your poem...so easy to skew things from our memories as we try to use experience to chart our future course... wouldnt it be fine if all it took to mend was a stitch or two...even i can prolong the life of a favorite t-shirt with (tho ugly) the proverbial stitch in time...
E.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

I'm glad you had to look something up...see, I'm always trying to show people new things ;) Thank you so much for the review!

[Astro]

Outstanding my dear, I think you hammered your point of view home and the blending of the emotional metaphor with the voice of perception is genius in this one. Truly a poetic quilt of the utmost quality. Each hanging thread tickling the toes and softly waving in and out of a sleeping mouth with a comfort that waking eyes can only cherish every last moment among its folds. Loved it!

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

Thank you so much...your words mean so very much to me!

[Astro]

Well they are well earned, you have succeeded and perhaps exceeded with this one.

[Anand Sehgal]

because perception muddies the waters,
makes it difficult to distinguish between
the fins of fish and the flash of crocodile teeth

for now I am content with a hard line --
everything above is the mystery of tomorrow,
and below is the fading fringe of yesterday

I will read it 10 times tomorrow, then I'll write my reviews. It impacted me hard.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

You have just made my morning with this review. Thank you!