Tapestry

You said
You knit me together
in my mother’s womb-

Steady hands,
agile fingers
pulling every part
perfectly, precisely
into place

Your mind conceived things
too lofty for mine-
grandeur of places, peoples
histories coming together;
different cords, carefully colored,
coordinated in even rows,
unified strands

Strands of
BYA kids and their heelies
CWOW families with their baby strollers
UC Berkeley students and their hoodies
brought close and tightly woven
like rows of Brianna’s braids

Threads of love and hope
Pain and loss
Present and future
Interwoven in connections
Smooth, like Naomi’s skin

The clash of
young and old
black and white
rich and poor
erased
if momentarily
through the common experiences
joining us together

And as I stand
outside 2110 9th street
I marvel at this tapestry of life
hanging so simply
in balance-

Your masterpiece.