Needle slides thread pulls tight

Needle slides, thread pulls tight,

a crooked line through worn fabric.

The stitch catches a loose thread—

pulling in, a stubborn knot,

a crease that won’t lay flat.

My breath catches as I tug again,

fingers sticky with thread and glue,

a patch meant to hold together

fraying edges of more than cloth,

but it bunches ugly in my hands.

I stop, heart clumsy, hands raw,

wishing the seam could be smooth,

a perfect line—

but stitches know the truth:

we hold the breaks that won’t go away.