dโVerse prosery
My plush, I’m told, is beautiful; and I suppose I’m glad it seems soโฆ certainly for my child’s sake. I taught myself the blind stitch specifically to prevent her from seeing the despair that binds these sundry cottony sheets. Everything I do is stitched with its color, but the threads are all cleverly hidden under the folds.
Engineer that I am, I even went so far as to design a specialized sewing machine for myself, equipped with a specialty presser foot. I was never much for sewing, you see, and my fingers were growing increasingly unsteady. Besides, for years I’d been noticing that my older seams were coming undoneโฆ And it was taking up all my energy to repair them.
Of course, these old sheets are bound to come apart eventually, butโฆ I hope to keep my baby warm until she learns to sew.
Prosery?
dโVerse prosery is flash fiction with a beginning, a middle and an end, in any genre of the authorโs choice, no longer than 144 words. This very short piece of prose must include an assigned line from a poem, within the 144 word limit. Writers may change the punctuation of the assigned line, but they may not insert words within the quotation.
Everything I do is stitched with its color.
–W. S. Merwin (1927 โ 2019), ‘Separation’
The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
Oh, I really loved this. Beautiful use of the phrase. I might have to join these prompts sometime as it seems like a lot of fun.
๐๐๐ป Bridgette ๐๐ป๐ ~ I draw a lot of inspiration from them!
~David
Very vivid character picture.
๐๐๐ป Dolly ๐๐ป๐
We no longer repair in this society, and though I do try it takes time to do it well.
๐๐๐ป Bjรถrn ๐๐ป๐ ~ it’s really hard
This was beautiful, David. All the women in my family worked with thread, sewing, crocheting, sewing… it’s a real connection to the past.
๐๐๐ป Colleen ๐๐ป๐
I come from a family of women who worked with fiber and this really resonates. Threads of connection. (K)
๐๐๐ป Kerfe ๐๐ป๐
My grandmother was a seamstress and a knitter, and although she taught me to do both, I no longer have a sewing machine and prefer to knit now. I felt the โdespair that binds these sundry cottony sheetsโ, David, and the love of the child.
๐๐๐ป Kim ๐๐ป๐ ~ thanks! What do you knit?
All sorts of things. At the moment Iโm knitting a jumper for my grandson, but Iโve also knitted blankets, hats, mittens, baby bootees, scarves and adult apparel. When I lived in Cologne many years ago I designed and knitted jumpers, jackets and skirts.
๐ฏ Kim ๐ฏ ~ wow! That is amazing ๐๐ป
My grandmother is 82 anspd still seems everyday. She would go mad without it.
๐๐ต Michaรซl ๐ต๐ ~ does she make things for family members?
For the family and people out of her neighborhood. It spreads like wildfire. She is even fixing things for people she never saw before.
That’s one awesome grandma ๐ต ๐๐ป
This is a profound write up David. Very moving.
๐๐๐ป Sadje ๐๐ป๐
๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ