PATCHWORK by Stephanie Bowry

When I was little, my mother would accumulate pieces of cloths. Naturally, they were of different sizes, colours and shapes but she doctored them with a pair of scissors then, artfully, stitched them together and, joy oh joy, they became a Comforter, complete and charming, that gave amazing sleep experiences. It was magical. 

It was as magical at the Guyanese Writers First Virtual Retreat!  We congregated, as agreed, via phones and lap-tops, of course. We walked with our ‘pieces of cloths’, so to speak, to show them off. We were anxious to show them off and anxious that they should be accepted. The Coordinator, Daryll, invited us to share our ‘pieces.’ We did. What happened for me was amazing!

Each piece shared had its peculiar ‘colour’, ‘shape’ and ‘size.’ There were pieces of prose, and pieces of poetry and they were not the same, exactly, yet they each stood-out uniquely handsomely. We talked and talked about the pieces and grew excited over them. And in our strongest moment of excitement, I swear, the pieces came together and formed a literary patchwork quilt, whole, colourful and lovely. 

It filled the distances between us and we ‘touched’ and ‘saw’ each other’s voices. 

It was magical.

It was for me.

  (This is one of a series of reflections on the first Guyanese Writers' Virtual Retreat )

 Feature Imageo by Raul Cacho Oses on Unsplash