On the bias

Just enough pressure
and you can feel the round blade
slice through the layers
slice through your life

line up the fabric
along the ruler
and cut
pieces for piecing

fabric is controllable
fabric does your bidding
without lip

pour yourself into it
that rotary blade
those layers
your feelings
sliced out
along the bias

patterns are orderly
the aesthetic your own
these tiny pieces
your life
the only piece you control

so you lay bare the threads
of labor
time passes with each stitch
nights into days
days into years
piecing onto quilting

this is your art
your life
it’s all you have
all you’ve done
all you were
all you are
these pieces
this stitching
the tumbling blocks
of your life

so take up your rotary cutter
press once more into the pliable fabric
create, control, connect
for far too soon
there’ll be nothing left
but the fabric you cut
and pieced
and quilted
on the bias