T'rumah

By Laurie Patton

We've always known
that clothing makes a world;
tents on our mother's beds,
earth and sky made of quilts
letting the light in
os that we are small makers
of tiny suns and miniature moons,
each requiring new stories.

We've always known
that our shawls are second skins,
which, unlike snakes,
we have the blissful choice
of removing at will.

We've always known
that blankets have an inch of heat
that can be the difference
between life and death
for someone newly nameless
searching for a subway vent.

We make
tiny worlds,
and shed skins,
and seek warm winds:
in these ways
we cry to You,
and You hear,
because You are gracious.