‘People are sewn into their skins for life and cannot alter any of the seams, at least not with their own hands.’ Kafka
I’ve been searching through my data base of past lives
my childhood teen years young adult
new mother recently divorced midlife~
with awe-
as pained as this awe can be-
I see my hand stitching
the places along my body’s hem lines where I took
my sharpest needle, used what I thought the most durable thread, and
stitched up loose ends.
I can even bring to mind-embarrassed
now in the backward gaze-
how I tucked the fraying in and held vehemently together the smooth skinned edges as I took that needle in and through-
in and through-
in and through-
in and through-
tight
what I thought were neat
stitches-
there.
no one will see that mess now
good as new~
___
the importance of seam rippers
the well-vested cost of turning my garment over and accepting the claim ticket
held out in the hand of the wise well-trained seamstress with the necessary proper
tool
creating a bodyform
that is the real attractive
attire so sought-
I thought well held-in hand
when I pushed the needle wore the thimble strained the eyes in the
dark to knot the thread at the end of my
self.
https://davidkanigan.com/2017/08/23/walking-the-floor-sewn-into-our-skins/