- by heather m. -
A series of three blackout poems derived from Singer Sewing Book by Mary Brooks Picken, published in May 1949.
introduction
Put your hands
in one woman’s life.
The satisfaction of that
absorbing hobby;
The hands leading the mind
with creation;
Room for worries, fears, and jealousies
are few;
Pleasures to equal the skill
of one’s own efforts.
Her deft fingers
can beautify herself
with patience, practice, and wishful thinking.
To be your companion
at your side with delight
is hope,
satisfaction,
and home.
to sew successfully
Part 1: Mentally
Prepare.
Think.
Choose your purpose.
You must want something lovely
to handle beauty with a sigh
When indifference
to the sink full of dishes
or bed unmade
are urgent chores free to enjoy.
Part 2: Physically
A ritual.
A dress.
A bag full of dust.
The powder and lipstick
You try in front of your mirror.
You hope when you are fearful
that a visitor or your husband,
Will not look, together.
Therefore,
you are free to enjoy
every part of you.
feminine frills
Powder puff ruffles are
infinite
Just hinted in the opposite foot
perfectly
A curved line at the top
and at the the bottom
beneath the lifted skirt.
For,
all types of ruffles
are best
cut, trimmed, then gathered
They may be made fold.
Press your edge
and
keep ruffling in a box.
