Embroidery of the Heart
Writing as Mending
Pantoum #159
Embroidery of the Heart
Holding together the broken with beauty
Stitched in place while holding my own hand
"This won't hurt a bit"
Holding together the broken with beauty
In ways only you know how
"This won't hurt a bit"
You're right—it hurts, not a bit but a lot
In ways only you know how
Stitched in place while holding my own hand
You're right—it hurts, not a bit but a lot
Embroidery of the Heart
Pantoum #160
These are the stitches that hold me together
Blanket stitch to keep warm, alone in bed
Backstitch to return home to knowing
Satin stitch laid down to sooth the loneliness
Blanket stitch to keep warm, alone in bed
Feather stitch and lazy daisy - for flying, then resting
Satin stitch laid down to smooth the loneliness
A final French knot to seal the deal with a kiss
Feather stitch and lazy daisy - for flying, then resting
Backstitch to return home to knowing
A final French knot to seal the deal with a kiss
These are the stitches that hold me together
These are complicated times. Even though I feel more content than I have in years, today I awoke overflowing with emptiness—a deep ache of loneliness that carved a hollow into my morning.
I reached for my journal and started with the simplest prompt: “I’m looking at…” Eyes soft, I scanned the room until they landed on an unlit candle on my coffee table. Through it, my writing led me to a wound I had long assumed was stitched shut.
Turns out, it wasn’t. Writing helped hold me together today.
Not perfectly, for sure. Not permanently. But with enough thread to move from mending to embroidery—with words, in these pantoums.
Invitation:
Choose a stitch.
Write from it, or draw it.
Where does it want to go?
See you next time for #161/365
P.S. If you want to browse through some of my writings visit The Pantoumery. What’s a pantoum, you say? I’m writing one each day, for a year. Learn how HERE
Also, The Well platform (prompts, classes and meeting links) is now available as mobile app!
