A Cushion as Metaphor for Something More Valuable

I have this cushion.

The color would be described as khaki or beige.

Maybe cafe au lait or camel if you’re fancy.

If there’s a color called Dried Mud on Sandals

that’s the color of my cushion.

As my only attempt to be on trend in the room,

it is printed in white with the phrase

Mr. & Mrs.

Serif, with a decorative ampersand.

Patriarchal labels as trendy decor.

The fabric is moderately coarse;

Not a fine linen, but also not as harsh

as a burlap sack.

Somewhere in between,

leaning toward sack.

The warp and weft are of varied gauge,

providing interest for the eyes

and the hands.

It’s sturdy and dependable,

but not so common as to be boring.

A fine metallic fiber adds interest;

A bit of particularity on an otherwise average

piece of semi-trendy decor.

The fiber is so fine as to be invisible

until the light hits it just right.

I have this marriage.

The fabric is woven with neutral fiber of varied gauge.

The feel is somewhere between course and fine.

But there are moments, difficult to see in the sameness

that sparkle and shine.

Copyright 2019 – Laurie Marshall

This poem is being posted as part of the #100dayproject. Find out more here.