The Quilters
I am painting a broad red stripe
On a wall in the church outside the room
Where the ladies quilting guild is meeting.
My work requires no skill, just
A can of paint, a tray and a roller.
It's a big dumb job.
As I roll on red enamel
I hear them murmuring as they work
Cooing like doves,
Most of their words indistinct
Although a few float out to the hall,
"Kidney," "grandchildren," and "visit."
I peek into the room to see them
Bent over quilt squares, embroidery, counted cross stitch
Faces relaxed as they talk and ply their skilled needles.
I do my dumb painting
While they are stitching their lives together.
--Dan Verner
Beautiful, Dan! My mother was a quilter, and there were stories in every square. Just hated the pins that would fall to the carpet!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely word portrait. I read recently that quilting is a tradition in the Methodist church as a fund-raiser. My husband's aunt wouldn't even stop quilting after surgery to fix her carpal tunnel syndrome. They're dedicated.
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