School holiday, circa 1996

I keep looking at sun-bonnet sue

Holding flowers up on my wall.

I keep going back to 1996To old homes and holidays,

To being seven years old.

​

It started with wool and a blank jute canvas.

I only knew that from mama I must learn

Sew neatly and diligently, lines and zigzags.

Then mama deftly pasted felt cutouts:

A blue hat, a pink dress, a purple apron,

Brown boots and a knobby yellow hand.

I keep thinking of ma's hands swiftly sewing

Pin-wheel flowers, blue clouds, a sun peeking out,

Painting white chemifix dots and lines on the hat,

Pasting yellow scallop lace around.

​

All this while I watch. Fascinated.

But wondering, is this cheating?

Is this picture mine or mama's?

Who is this girl? I ask

Mama says this is Sun-bonnet Sue

And stitches my name

At the bottom of the jute.

​

And so our fates were sealed.

14 years later, I am much older

Full of worry and little wonder.

But sun-bonnet sue still hangs

Blue hat and knobby hands

Holding flowers above my bed.

(More mama, more 1996,

More childhood home

And seven year old me

Than me.)

originally written in 2020.

Links: 1 2