Looking at this black bean dyed seven-patch, I’m seeing more than I expected. Started as simply stitches moving out from the center. Something to hold in my hand. For grounding. To help me move into the rhythm of mantra-like movement. No-thought. Just thread. And cloth.
Lots of times I don’t recognize what is coming forth until it’s finished. So here. Staying centered. In the midst of uncertainty. Not-quite chaos. Unsettled-ness . But there it is. Right in the center. The reminder to stand firm. Downloading the picture to my computer, I had to name it–and the expression “just stay put” jumped into my mind. Where does that come from–“stay put?” Why would the word “put” describe a state of being–or a place?
And why, in the past, did I hear that expression and immediately think “no, I won’t.” Because now it seems like very good advice. Stay put. It could as easily mean “stay centered.” Stay present. Avoid future tripping. Avoid the inclination to re-hash the past. Stay. And this other cloth, another in the series of altar cloths I’m working on–cloth wrapped and marked by tin can– a path through it all. A personal shield as well–the life force of red. And a reason to focus.
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