archive: Soft Furnishings

Published in Teetering on a Highwire in 2009.

Soft Furnishings

First week on the sewing machines
learning about dust on her teeth
and not to wear loose sleeves
Hannah got her thumb in the way of the foot
and needle-punched it
nail to print.

When she twitched her hand away
the needle broke off at the shaft:
pierced through her thumb
from nail to print.

And her thumb became a needle
the wound an eye
the yarn
threaded through the point of the needle
and through the eye of her thumb
was still yarn
to be threaded and stitched.

From other machines
came quick hands
used to threading,
took Hannah's thumb
and drew the yarn out.

Like every needle
her thumb felt the tug
of the thread
inside
and like every machine
her inner works
shuddered
but the needle
was steady.

In her shuddering world
Hannah was the needle
her mouth
the eye
that the thread of her cry
was drawn through
and, like every needle
she was steady.

© Laura Smith 2009