Monday, September 8, 2008

The Knitting - Cassandra Kaul

The Knitting

Tying the knot is the vital part.
Double it to be sure.

Not too tight,
or it won’t slide
on the needle for you to stitch

The itchy cotton blend scratches
your fingers as you begin
the knitting.

Casting on,
counting as you go
remembering
not too little,
not too much.
Knit 1, Pearl 2.

Knit 1, Pearl 2 become
the routine.
Knit 1, Pearl 2. Turn.
Knit monotonous, Pearl easy.

Your life for a moment becomes a series
of Knit 1 monotonous, Pearl 2 easy.

Knit 1 monotonous, keep going. Pearl 2 easy, never stop monotonous easy knitting. Stop.
Is it too
short?
Has it become a long, drawn out scrap, a remnant of what it should have been?

You begin the end
and stitch back in, and tie off.
Not too tight
or it will be misshapen.

Cutting the thread is
a release.

Knit 1, Pearl 2 become
a jumbled mess of loops.
The look messy, completely
unorganized.

You put it around your neck and,
jumbled, itchy, cotton blended loops are more.

They’re warm.

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