"CAME APART RIGHT AT THE SEAMS"
by Becky Hemsley
by Becky Hemsley
One time I met a woman
With a basket on her arm
A basket filled with patches
And with fabric, thread and yarn
And so I walked a while
Watching as she greeted
Other people with a smile
I saw her greet a woman
Hanging on by just a thread
And a girl who was unravelling
With each and every step
I watched her as she stitched together
Parts all torn and frayed
And as she tied their loose ends
With the fabric she had made
And then I watched a man
Who told her that he couldn’t cope
He spoke about the heartache
That had snatched away his hope
She listened to him calmly
As she measured out her thread
And then she gently held his arm
And carefully she said
“I’ll hold you for a moment
And I’ll treat your heart with care
And it will feel different,
But perhaps less empty there”
But as I stood and watched her
As she patched his broken heart
I noticed that her dress
Was quietly coming apart
I realised that the hat she wore
Had six or seven holes
And the boots she wore upon her feet
Had barely any soles
The tights she wore beneath her dress
Were laddered and threadbare
And the jacket round her shoulders
Was in need of great repair
And now I saw it clearly:
That she spent her every day
Fixing other people
Making sure they were okay
Patching up and sewing
So that they could feel stronger
When they just couldn’t keep themselves
Together any longer
But she too needed love and care
And she too needed help
Yet she was spending all her time
On everybody else
On making sure that they were fine
To chase their hopes and dreams
Whilst she slowly, without knowing
Came apart
right
at
the
s e a m s
*****
This was my new poem in my June newsletter. A reminder to check in with our loved ones who always look out for everyone else.
Becky Hemsley 2024
Artwork by Anna Ermolaeva (@anna.ermolaeva.art on Instagram)
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