<html aria-label="message body"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><span style="font-size: 22px;">Quilts</span><div style="font-size: 22px;"><br></div><div style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Like a fading piece of cloth</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a failure</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">No longer do I cover tables filled with food and laughter</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My seams are frayed my hems falling my strength no longer able</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">To hold the hot and cold</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I wish for those first days</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">When just woven I could keep water</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">From seeping through</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Repelled stains with the tightness of my weave</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Dazzled the sunlight with my</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Reflection</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I grow old though pleased with my memories</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The tasks I can no longer complete</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Are balanced by the love of the tasks gone past</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I offer no apology only</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">this plea:</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">When I am frayed and strained and drizzle at the end</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Please someone cut a square and put me in a quilt</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">That I might keep some child warm</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">And some old person with no one else to talk to</span><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Will hear my whispers</span><br><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">And cuddle</span><br></div><div style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></div><div style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Nikki Giovanni</span></div></div></body></html>