Disentangle (A Poem)

"Disentangle"

by Virginia Knowles

When I was a girl of 10 or so

I would sit long with a fat skein of vibrant yarn

Tangled by carelessness or cat

And I would focus my child eyes and

With supple hand, loosen the knots gently

Guide this end through that loop

Look again and plan how to untangle this mess

Delicately

And one by one the knots would clear

I would wind new inches onto my salvage ball

Wedged between my knees to keep it from rolling away

And I would work another tangle and another, satisfied

Then set it aside for later

Times, too, that fibers enmeshed, refused to budge

No undoing that hard and tight knot, no chance of change

No choice but to give it a hard yank, break it right there

Or better yet, find scissors and cut it loose

To go on with disentangling and reclaiming the rest

I think of that now

Kindred poems...

• Shimmer and Shadow
• The Harp in the Willow
• Your Kindness Gave Me Courage
• Pilgrimage and Jubilee
• Lift Up Your Head and Laugh
• This Is My Song and I Sing
• Between the Seed and the Tree
• Do Cry
• Rebound

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles