Friday Poetry: Patchwork

“We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength."
—Barack Obama, January 20, 2009

Wrap me in that patchwork.
Let me smell its many aromas
And drink in its delicious warmth.
Delight my eye in its glorious kaleidoscope.

We used to be three-piece suits,
Aprons and housecoats,
robes and pajamas and ball gowns,
business professional and casual Friday,
play clothes and power suits.
We used to clothe the homeless,
the elite and the erudite,
the cynic and the optimist.

We have been cherished and spat on,
Loved and nurtured and shunned,
Hung out to dry and rained on.
But here we are, all sewn together,
Stronger and more stunning
than ever we were,
Ready to wrap the cold, cold world
In our new warmth.

©Mary Ray Worley
January 22, 2009