“The Art of Sewing and Other Lessons” by Christina Grant
Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “The Art of Sewing and Other Lessons” by Christina Grant.
The Art of Sewing and Other Lessons
By Christina Grant
I shear across the grain in scissor-snick precision
follow pattern lines as fabric slides
from the table like a toboggan down a hill.
My mother crouched behind me at the top of the run
stay loose as you ride, she said, to avoid injury
an initial push to gather momentum
not unlike the first cut of cloth there is no stopping once begun
I guide the fabric, ensorcelled
by the machine’s stabbing rhythm
threading a needle, she said, requires
the same steady hand as baiting a hook.
We pierced worms, cast our lines
among the weeds of tannin-stained water
ravenous pickerel lurked, waiting to
gorge on hapless prey. Cried
when I hooked a fish through its eye
What is done cannot be undone
I removed the hook, wary of needle-sharp teeth
released it, one-eyed
jaws agape, leaking blood the colour of wine.
I sew a dress for my mother that she will never see
darts stitched into the bodice, gathered sleeves
and flared skirt that will never twirl, velour
the same rich burgundy as a bottle from Bourgogne.
Water for living, she raised a glass, wine for life
taught me how to savour—jaw open, lips closed—
like holding a cluster of rubies in your mouth
a gnathic swirl, the flavour of Pinot noir grapes
draped across the tongue
velvety soft undertones of
berries, cinnamon, and loam.
Copyright © Christina Grant
Christina Grant is a writer and educator living in Waterloo, Ontario which is situated on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Chonnonton People. She loves storytelling no matter the medium. Her poetry and short fiction have been published in various literary magazines in print and online. Her work has also appeared on stage and on Manawaker Studio’s Flash Fiction podcast.
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