pumpkins and little knits

i have been away in my little hidey hole
most of the time, sleeping and mending
then
in front of the cable tv at me mum's
knitting like a mad woman, living on tea and movies
felt like college vacations all over again
minus the boy angst and bad hair choices

incredibly, this pumpkin patch is just in my little corner of life
gourds inscribed with the names of sweet children who live
a mere stone's throw away from this,
the neighborhood pumpkin patch

i am a handcrafter of gifts from way back
winter solstice and christmas
the theme of giving is so resonant with my heart
this little gansey inspired sweater with hat
will be squirreled away until December
for my wee niece of two years

i lived in San Francisco for a decade
and would gladly travel miles to see
the Great Pumpkin rise from the pumpkin patch
now i get to see the round, orange orbs daily
and smell the loamy earth beneath their vines
as they worm across the grounds
seeking sustenance


i am a little bit crazed with impatience
to create a gift for all the loved ones
in time for the holidays
so that i might not spend every night before christmas
laboring away like an elf on amphetamines

on the one hand
life is gloriously rich
full of treasures from my friend's "p" patch
the generous cooking we share with one another
my wealth of local camaraderie
and the art materials i still find in my closet

on the other
my fight for employment of the general persusasion
continues on like a droning voice of frustration
as i cobble together my pennies to make dollars
and my dollars to make sense of things


today, i bask in blue skies, crisp turned up collars
the return of knitwear to the dressing schematic
and the energy to walk a couple of miles
a fresh pot of soup on the range
and a renewed vigor in my step

hello all - i am back