Quilt for Andrea

In December of 2016 I started a quilt for my soon-to-be wife Andrea. I got a beautiful vintage ring for our wedding, and she didn't want anything other than the gold band from our engagement, but i wanted her to have a wedding gift too!  Unfortunately other art stuff took precedence, and it was intermittently put on the back burner, but I finally finished it, only a year later!  It's all made from batik fabric, which kind of reminds me of tie dye, which Andrea loves. the back is outer space fabric that she picked out, and I made a label and embroidered it with glittery thread.  Here it is!

Sleeping With You

your eyelashes are still black and gold

even when I’m so scared i don’t know

what to do 

your chin and cheeks and nose are still so quiet 

when you sleep so deeply i get scared,

i get scared.

i check your chest to make sure 

and i feel like dying right now just to 

postpone my awakening

your hair points in the middle like a v

they call it a widows peak

and sometimes when you sleep i want to cut it off

because the idea of being your widow

makes me weep

makes me feel

too weak

inside it’s awakening.

(written for Andrea Hawkins (my now wife) in 2015). 

For Betty

You died as a flower does:

petal by petal.  

When my body returns to clay 

I hope to feel your fur once again

with my celestial hand. 

My hand is not unlike your paw.

Your paw is not unlike a gentle budding branch.

Betty Anglin, 1998 - 2012.

May you rest peacefully, you were the delight of my heart and days.