STITCHES:

On the cobbled dusty corner of old Luna street,

Where all the kiddies play & the townsfolk meet,

In a small beveled shop window she always sits,

Where she darns, tats, sews, weaves & daily knits.

Dressed forever in black & an old tatty velveteen hat,

Beside her always, her moggy asleep on an old tat mat,

Daily there, old, grey, stooped, working stitch by stitch,

Kiddies running past call to her, “Hello good old witch.”

Into babe´s christening garb she twines wishes blessed,

Replacing teddies lost smiles & fixing dollies small vests,

Into the gown of the bride she weaves spells of pure joy,

Mends patched knees in pantaloons of tumbled little boys.

Dresses & petticoats of ladies, maids & precious little girls,

Buttons, ribbons, bows & pretty frills that fly & gaily twirl,

With old fingers, old machine, needles, wool & silken threads,

Toiling while the sun shines & at night when all are in their beds.

Treats for passing puppies & sweeties for all the little kiddies,

Smiles for one & all & village gossip for the town´s old biddies,

Nobody knows her name, nor when or from where she came,

The old seamstress, always there, ever alone, always the same.

She is blessed with her old magic fingers, thin, swift & very deft,

Working into her weaving, love through every stitch & folded weft,

Her wishes woven into soft lamb´s wool & smiles within the weaves,

Her laughter resounds within her garments & hugs within the sleeves.

Velvets, satins, twill, tweed & wool, delicate threads of shimmery silk,

Flowing through her flying fingers, as soft as the wailing whale’s milk,

Not a single stitch seen, every one transparent to the mere mortal eye,

No questions dared asked, no word passes lips & yet no one knows why.

Who is this old lady who has always been there, sewing in her little chair?

Who is she, stooped & old, dressed in black & old hat with long silvery hair?

Is she just an old lady, or as the kiddies call her, a smiling & kind old witch?

Or maybe she´s just an old seamstress weaving mystery, stitch by magic stitch.