In 2017, I was asked to read two of my works for television broadcast – very fun indeed! Here is the first of the two to be broadcast – my poem “Life is Like Knitting.” I chose two of my works that had a knitting reference to tickle my Mother’s sense of humor. Following is the video of the reading, and below the video I have put the poem itself. I wore the “Dance of the Fall Leaves” kaftan based on my “Dance of the Fall Leaves” artwork.
As background on the poem itself, I had written about knitting, and life, some years ago, when I was starting anew before I met my wonderful husband. Knitting was a lovely part of my relationship with my Mother and also with my wonderful Aunt Barbara and her daughters Rika and Claire. The poem is apropos of so many of life’s changes and decisions:
Life is Like Knitting
Life is like knitting
Sometimes each stitch falls easily into place
Each row upon row flowing with grace
And then, a mistake, not easy to erase
A choice must be had
Do we go ahead flawed, looking a bit bad
Or do we unravel and then
Begin, begin, begin again?
With each new start
The old design deliberately picked apart
Carefully the yarn from the needle unfurls
Undoing all the knits and pearls
Cautious not to harm
The tender texture of the yarn
This life’s thread must be used to stitch again
In our universal pattern of row upon row, til time’s end
There is no shame in each start anew
No matter how many restarts or how few
The rows undone
In the redoing are part of life’s fun
The lessons learned along each knitted way
Can be used another day
To last, to warm our souls a little longer
Making our life’s knitting that much stronger.
(c) 2006 M. Nicole van Dam. All Rights Reserved.
