A Quilter's Work

I have hesitated to speak about my mother, perhaps because I feel inadequate to speak of her. But I feel that I can capture at least a piece of her within my poetry, and maybe, at some point, you, the reader, will one day be able to construct an entire individual out of my words. But I doubt it. There are not enough poetic metaphors or well-structured verses or prose that could build up such an overwhelming multi-faceted human. I am proud to call her my mother, and stand in awe of her everyday. I only wish that I could give her more, not because she has given me everything I would ever need, but because she deserves as much, and that much more.
Tonight, I will be reciting my poetry as a final project for my Poetry Workshop class. Here is a Sonnet I wrote in admiration of my loving mother for that class:

A Quilter’s Work

I love the way she makes her quilts: controlled

and full of care. I’d watch her work for hours

In your sequestered sewing room; her old

and trusted Singer rattled with such power.

Blending batiks of hand-dyed fabrics, knitting

together textiled patterns lacking any

form, she would make a portrait, somehow fitting

a multitude of shapes to form a whole.

And yet, mistakes would weave and thread their way

into the finished product. Laughing she

would say, “artistic choice,” and fold away

the blemished artwork tailored to be skewed.

Sometimes I think she made me like your quilts:

some minor imperfections, but well built.

The Boss

"Behind every great leader, is an even greater Woman."

You might think that the boss of Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations would be none other than Monica herself; she owns the store, she works the shows, her name is literally on the front of the building. Well, you are wrong.

The title of "Boss" goes to the small, but fierce, Evelia who has been working for my mother for the past sixteen years. As I have said before, I literally grew up in the shop and have had the privilege to get to know each and every one of my mother's co-workers as if they were family. Evelia definitely is a part of my family. Her mother, Guadalupe, has taken care of me ever since I was born. She never had a title other than "My Lupe," but I guess she would be considered my nanny. I remember when I was little walking down the street to pickup Evelia after school. I was completely enamored with her. She would hold my hand and Lupe would hold the other. I distinctly remember walking closer to Evelia, my head leaning against her hip (I was smaller at the time. Not the giant I am now). I thought myself to be a natural Don Juan. Now, you might be wondering, "How did she attain such a distinguished title?" Well, the truth of the matter is that my mother will not do anything in the store without Evelia's consent. She has earned a high-respect with my mother, as well as her co-workers, due to her tireless efforts to make Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations a well-run, well supplied store. When you have the chance, take a gander at the many different quilts hanging up on the wall in my mother's store; the color pallet for most of them were picked out by Evelia. If you have had the chance to enjoy one my mother's Weekend Retreats at the Hyatt Grand Champion during Summer, then you have gotten the chance to work with one of many of Evelia's well thought-out kits. And if you have picked up a fat quarter or yard cut of fabric from one of the numerous Quilt Shows my mother attends, then you have picked up just one piece of fabric that Evelia has folded and specifically picked to send on the road with my mother for you to enjoy.

So the next time you walk into Monica's Quilt and Bead Creations and see my mom running about, helping customers, being her sunshine self, know that Evelia is somewhere near by, making sure that the shelves are stacked appropriatly and filled with fabric, that the beads are all neat and nicely set, that there is not one missing pattern from the rack, so that my mom can do what she does best: talk to customers and sell. And whenever there needs to be a second opinion on a color scheme, my mom will alway ask Evelia and will take her opinion first over her own 95% of the time.