Under Sara's Fingernail
In a box from Portland
across half a continent
care of Sara and Ann, of hands and souls
carrying hope, good, and true
from strange friends, friendly strangers,
opened with feathers and fingertips
Wrapped like an onion
of like minds dissonant,
paper shelled, agreed to differ in layers.
Savor and sob sweet sulphur.
Many voices, much to consider,
makes my heart hurt well.
Mushy legged, fright coughed
needle stuck, copper mouthed man,
duck feet wrapped in the blessings,
gathered, wound, woven, sewn.
Torn is bound, bound is healed
one stitch at a time.
Our divinity dreams our world into being.
Tears of gods stain our pillows.
We rise on the grass of our own gardens.
Wash in the dew of Eden daily born.
Poppies, hops, cabbage and the joy we have planted here
feed others after we have dissolved into eternal rain.
See the creator of the universe.
Look up from the sink.
Look into the eyes of those around us. Love what we see there.
We are forever bone-dust, tears and stray sparks.
If you missed my call, look for me on the nearest leaf,
beside a creaking gate, under the hoof of a she-goat.
On Monday, I received a package in the mail. It was from Kossack Sara R. In that box was a magnificent bundle of hope and joy from my friends here at DailyKos.com.
Mrs. ruleoflaw and I wept as we read the messages of support and kindness.
The images on the quilt include possums, otters, crows, and a white hare, as well as many other critters and plant life in a lovely arrangement of earth, air, water, and light.
Mrs r sews a bit and she is quite impressed with the quality and skill of SaraR and
Winglion's work. It is a lovely composition, masterfully executed. "Treasure" is a word that barely begins to describe such a gift. On Tuesday, I had my second infusion of cyclophosphamide. Because of this gift, many of our friends were with us.
Go here to learn more about Sara and Winglion's community quilt project.
So what the hell is wrong with me? Well, the better you know me, the longer your list, but to be brief, I have Membranous nephropathy with nephrotic syndrome. You can read all about it at the link or just know that my immune system likes to screw with my kidneys. I'm learning how to better manage my symptoms as well as the side effects of my medications. The treatment plan I'm on might cure me, it might put me into remission for a long time, or it might not work at all. In the cold light of statistics, those three possibilities are about even-up, 33% apiece. The remaining 1% allows for me to be hit by a bus or a meteorite or choke to death on a cherry pit. C'est la vie, C'est la mort. However I go, I won't be alone on this journey. Thanks for riding the bus with me.
Sara R, Winglion, and all the fellow Kossacks who made this quilt a reality are part of my treatment plan. from my kids and grandkids, Mrs. ruleoflaw, L.A. MacPup and your boy ruleoflaw, thank you, so very much indeed!
(Sara R and Wingliion's latest project is a quilt for Common Sense Mainer, read all about it here.)