The Sewing Machine

When I left my Husband.
I left everything.
All I took was whatever
fit into a van.
I lived with beach chairs
and a mattress on the floor.
I wanted nothing of that
life.
Nothing.
I simply started over.
One day, I thought I
better find something to
do with all this extra time.
I bought a sewing machine.
I thought I would create
something.
slowly, I taught myself to
sew.
I would go to
Goodwill and get clothes
for a $1. Then I would
rip them up and sew
something beautiful.
The hum of the machine
made me feel some comfort.
It did not matter that
I was married to
a man for 21 years.
It did not matter
that you cheated
on me and treated
me like I was a 2nd
class person.
All that mattered
was the seam.
Perfect and effortless.
This Machine saved me.
If I could make something
ugly and useless, into
something beautiful it
made me feel good.
I never learned
how to sew by
a pattern, I just
would sew.
I looked in the mirror
today. I was trying on
a dress I made.
I bought the fabric
from goodwill.
It was the ugliest
thing I had ever seen.
I made a beautiful
dress out of it.
I looked at myself .
Beautiful.
I made something ugly
look beautiful.
This time I was
talking about my
life.
My life is so
beautiful.
That sewing machine
saved my life.