Something Extraordinary

written for a friend on her birthday

You have to watch

carefully. Those rare days

that my friend

is sitting still, it is easy

to say, she does nothing

more important

than spin fleece into

cord, for the making

of fiber and fibrous things.

Nothing extraordinary.

Here’s what you may not

have known, about her:

she too is fibrous entity;

optics and surge protection

not withstanding

she is a woman

who weaves ozone

and knits with lightning.

Twenty years ago,

some men told her,

but you don’t have permission

to do that!!! So she said

“sorry,” and set down

her loom. It’s like riding

a bike- one never forgets,

but it takes a while

for those muscles

to remember what they

are to be used for.

It takes some reading.

A lot of writing.

And hours spent sitting

still, doing nothing more

important than rewiring

the electric delivery system

for the entire universe.

 

for Amy, 2/17-18, 2020

Happy Birthday.