Spinster

Post date: May 20, 2009 4:52:39 PM

An old sewing machine's

thick needle and thread

dives into red silk,

tracing short seams

with taut stitches.

She smoothes the cloth

in firm warm hands,

pulling folds

of fabric, bunched

loose around the needle.

A final tug tests

the thread-lines, stretched

close to bursting, she eases

her finger along one seam

to feel the coarse

tingle of raised stitches.

Sliding off, the dress

exposes a bare oak top,

polished her life-long

by two hands that know the craft.