LIFELINES

her dead husband
trapped
behind glass

laughs
from his
faded photograph

he stands
in a field
of wallpaper roses

she knits & knits
as if she was knitting
Time

Time is cast on
she never
drops a stitch

"Purl..purl...purl"
her tabby
purrs

at night she unravels
the day's knitting
as if disposing of all

that wasted time
Time is cast off
tomorrow she will begin again

the endless endless knitting
that is neither
scarf or cardigan or a... nothing

a car headlight sweeps
across her husband's face
brings him alive for an instant

and then he is
dead
forever again

the knitting needles
pierce the blue
ball of wool

that will be tomorrow
sleep at last is
kind to her

she hopes Death
will find her soon
so that

tomorrow
need not be
knitted. . .

*

A lifeline is a strand of yarn that is inserted into the work so that, if an error is encountered, it is easy to rip back to that point. Lifelines are often used in lace knitting. Leave lifelines in your work until the piece is complete. To insert a lifeline, thread a tapestry needle with…