Commissioned Work
I card the wool of your tangled biography
resulting in seven short chapters of spun yarn
not enough to knit much of a sweater
but I try. By including cobwebs, garden twine,
the fishing line filament I find in the basement
the odd bits of string from the junk drawer
a half-spool of ribbon left over from trimming curtains
I construct a garment. Ill-fitting and misshapen
it is nonetheless my best effort. I am certain
it corresponds to your outline but I admit
it may not flatter your figure. Nonetheless
I have finished. I will submit my invoice shortly.
Thank you.
5/28/19
Claudia McGill Writes Poetry, Did You Know That? 
I love this. That first line is a wonderful opening.
Thank you. It’s funny how these things work; I was thinking about how when a person does a biography, the research must be like combing…and then this idea came to me of carding wool, no idea why, but I know how hard it is to get the wool cleaned and ordered, so it seemed to fit, and then the poem just leaped along on its own. I do like it when this happens.
I do, too. 😀
This is a corker Claudia! I ‘m thinking it might go on the PoettreeACT.
Thank you. And I would be very flattered if it did. I like how this one turned out – all the parts of it fit and the images are (to me) interesting. I have always wondered how people sort out all the tangles of a person’s life to create a biography, and I pretty much think this poem expresses how I feel many of them turn out – would the actual person be able to wear the story when it is done?
Mine would definitely be a tangle.
Brilliant extended metaphor.
Thank you!
I’ve always wondered how there can be so many threads left to gather at all. I’m sure combing is the right word for it. And I think the fit is in a constant state of needing alterations. (K)
Or we are always growing out of or into our garments.
Both, probably.