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Julia Carlson is a longtime member of the Somerville Bagel Bards, that now resides in the land of Zoom.

Face Mask

(for Kitty)

Julia Carlson

When my mother passed away

my Dad, clearing out the dining room hutch,

found a stack of white damask napkins.

“These were your Great Grandmother’s.

Do you want them?” he said.

I took them, that was 32 years ago,

took them when I moved from New England

to down South and then back home.

Once in a while I’d use one,

and if it was frayed or torn,

toss it into the rag bucket or the trash.

This week one of my friends said,

It’s The Pandemic, why aren’t your

writing any poems? You have to write one!

I read a poem in which the poet said

she made pies when no words would come.

But I’m sick of cooking after three weeks

of social distancing. So, this morning

on my list of things to do, “Get a face mask!”

How? since I can’t find one for love or money.

Google found me the pattern. I looked at my

collection of scarves and kerchiefs

but they were too nice to cut up. And two were

presents from my daughter and grandson.

But at the back of the dresser was that stack

of my great grandmother’s linen napkins.

À couple hours later, after cutting and sewing

here I sit getting ready to post a

selfie on Instagram, fighting off

The 21st Century Plague with a

hundred year old napkin.

— Julia Carlson

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Doug Holder, 25 School St.; Somerville, MA 02143
dougholder@post.harvard.edu