| Sewing a Spell from Memories By: Bentley Snow Davis Dreamt about quilting last night Sewing patches from cloth of my past clothes worn by my by my daughter threadbare jeans the flannel worn while giving birth overalls Brigid wore as an infant sheets I had as a kid big yellow birds the angry teen black dress the maternity dress the blue of my child's eyes the daisy jumper Brigid and I both wore as toddlers the paisley scarf Mom gave me when she fled my sister's bright green vintage formal my wedding gown my daughter designed Tucked inside each patch I hide tokens the dried rose received in the seventh grade locks of friends' lovers' hair journal pages drops of blood postcards of favorite places fading photographs memories spells The quilt is a giant spell to remember to lock away to protect to get on to love to never let pain happen again to keep the cold away to use the past productively to celebrate the fact I am still here. |