Basket Maker

In another life, I would have been

a basket maker; you would sit before me,

hold out your hands, show me the pieces

of your world too heavy for you to carry.

I would lay them on the ground between us,

take vines or willow, rattan or honeysuckle

and you would watch as I weave, you -

like a child or a small bird, with your curiosity,

your hopeful wings. Me, like a priest or a mother

hen, with my kindness, with my indulgences.

Together, we would place your wares, one

by one, side by side into your basket,

and I would show you how to carry it home,

where to set your hands so the weight

distributes rightly. See, I have done it just now.

Originally published by Bottlecap Press; shared with permission.

Grace Dellis is the Founding Editor of Hyssop+ Laurel Magazine. Her work has been published in various journals and anthologies, and she has been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. Her first chapbook, Signs and Wonders, is available for purchase through Bottlecap Press. Grace lives in Alabama with her husband and two sons.