half-mended · unfinished

the sewing room

a half-mended sleeve on the table. the needle stopped mid-stitch, the thread still threaded, the cuff still expecting to be repaired.

the seamstress was called away (someone called, someone was needed, the kettle, an argument, a letter). she meant to return. one minute can become an afternoon, and afternoons accumulate.

the thimble is here, the ribbon is here, the unfinished glove is here, and time, in this room, is also unfinished.