Patchwork

Jay Chambers

Green diamonds are interspersed throughout
Another diamond is floral print
I see a loose thread escaping on the right side 

Her mouth was a gaping void
Black empty and silent
Once it was filled with  

Blue diamonds join the pattern
Some are irregular now
It seems like the pattern 

Words that traveled the sides of a scale
Some too vulgar for my young ears
Others sweetened with diabetic love 

Breaks down as you stare
With different themes
Recurring throughout
Interrupted by 

The hospice nurse arrived at 3:25
All I remember was a bag of cat litter
To destroy the narcotics 

New patches of fabric that remind me
All about those days that seem like a blur

 The dusk obscures the blush pink diamonds
Fading them out into a washed out white 

A stretcher rolls through the hallway
It won’t fit through the door
Three men carry her out 

Together, diamonds become stars
Displaying a multi-colored brilliance
That only neuropathic hands could create 

I make biscuits in the kitchen
Rolling dough on bare countertop
Fighting back tears 

On top of the patchwork sits a small heart-shaped note
“I love you, Granny”
The tears don’t stop this time