Rose bloom quilt by Therkel Anderson

I wrote this poem in June 1987, the summer before I met Chris, the man who would become my husband.

At the time, I knew I would have to let go of a lot of old resentments and pain if I were ever to meet healthy, like-minded people. After a lifetime of moving forward, I had to face the unfaceable—my feelings. I had to face each resentment over the intentional hurts that had offended me, and that I hung on to. So, after a courageous, soul-searching internal struggle, I found my way.
I learned to face my life each day through sewing, love, and forgiveness. By standing tall and being brave, I was able to adjust myself emotionally enough to face my fears. Through this process, I found acceptance, beauty, joy, and love. And I wove them into my being like a beautiful patchwork quilt.

I got interested in quilting one day, sitting in my car at a stoplight. The thought came to me in an instant, like an inspiration from nowhere. So, I knew I had to follow through. I read books on quilting and attended programs on it, where I watched people quilt in person. I loved what I saw and learned, and I grew fascinated. But, no, I never quilted. It would have been impossible to do well with only one hand, but that did not stop me completely. Where there is a will there is a way, so I took up embroidery and loved it.

This poem is about how I released myself from the entanglement of resentment and hurt by reading books on patchwork quilts, seeing some real ones on display, and wanting to let go of the negative emotions I had held in my body and mind. I wanted, in my mind, to create a beautiful patchwork quilt, and with unconditional love and forgiveness, free my past from its prison of resentment so I could go forward, accepting and loving myself unconditionally.

The poem cleansed my soul, and a few months later, I met Chris.

Patchwork Quilt

Crimson are my eyes,
With sadness on my face,
A tear no more can
This tender heart partake.

I’ve learned
From time gone by
Never to hold life’s sorrows
Down deep inside.

So, with complete composure,
And my inner strength secure,
I fortify myself with
Resilience
And with radiance I find,

I am no longer broken,
Like that china doll
I once was.
I stand,
I wait,
I am stitched and mended,
Like a new patchwork quilt, unentangled.

Now, I know splendor
As I sip the sweetness of earth’s wine!

Original text ©2024 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved. Image of Therkel Anderson quilt courtesy of National Gallery of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.