Cross Stitch

Margaret sits in her wheel chair
and cross stitches pillow cases
and runners hour after hour.

The soap operas keep her company.
Shadows flash across the screen.
Captions punctuate the actions.
(Her hearing is impaired.)

With small hands and thick glasses
she makes perfect stitches in peacock
colors.

Multiple times I have purchased
embroidery floss and the prerequisite
cloth but failed to grasp the technique.

Plying the strands takes practice.

My crosses are uneven.

My knots unravel or make large bumps
on the underside of my fabric.

In no time at all the underside
of my work becomes tangled
and snarled.

Surely not the work
of the good fairy
but the wicked witch.

The family has always encouraged
Margaret to make alphabet samplers.

Margaret has always demurred.

"But your skills are superb
and they would be great
money makers," we prod.

"Your work would sell
at antique and craft fairs,
be shown on gallery walls."

She shakes her head and
remains on her own path.

Recently I found a pattern
for a baby sweater
accented with delicate
cross stitches.

The self talk went like this:

That wouldn't be too difficult...
It's only a few stiches.
Give it a try.

I mean...
if a ten-year-old
could stitch those samplers...

And embroidery floss comes in
hundreds of beautiful colors.

Heed the call!