mender of the broken pieces.

my mother is a sewing machine,
always fixing things
broken hearts and paper wings.
the night vanessa passed away
a car accident took a life far too young
to leave this earthly life.
my mother on the phone, miles away
listened to me cry
or when my dad moved out - said it was time for a change.
i knew he wasn't happy,
i felt we weren't good enough for him to stay.
she kept our family from fraying.

my mother starts with a simple piece of fabric.
delicate, a solid shade of blue
adding seams, buttons, and zippers.
each addition makes it stronger.
adding beauty to a broken piece of fabric.
and so it is in my family.
she sews each piece back together,
giving new life to what was once broken
and torn apart.

it isn't easy being strong all the time.
if you aren't careful her needle may poke you
when your heart is pushed too far.
she needs a break from fixing your problems,
once in awhile.
but mostly she will mend your broken heart.

written by aleisha, 2007. revised spring 2012.