A Free-Form Garment

Time-honored craft of the
women-folk, productive and
utilitarian at one turn,
artful and joyous at another.
I will express my love,
my concern, and sometimes
(without you noticing) my
heart's desire in this way.
You tell me that I am
throwing away progress and
equality and all things with which
modern
life has gifted me. I close my eyes and
think of all the things
I have been given by this creative process and
the ones who practice it,
all the things that
wrap me in warmth and kindness,
let me know I'm remembered in the
summer days that are far away
from the day I will need this hug of
fibers. And as I clutch my
tools, defensive and judged,
I breathe deeply. This is the
immortality, of sorts, of the
women who came before, of the
hugs they gave and the
heart they showed.
So, in answer to your question of
why I persist in this outdated
hobby, I have only to say,
"Knit one, fuck you."