Take something torn – a dress, or cardigan,
appliqué silk, velvet, cotton or satin, add braid,
buttons, or border to extend its life; make it unique.

Believe something good can come of this;
experiment, without much risk, unwearable
as it was before you began.

Use a measure of trust in the mending process;
sew solutions; make disparate pieces of cloth,
even frayed edges work - hands moving

in creative contemplation: ‘telling beads’
with brocade, sequins, and rik-rak, forming
a pleasing whole from a patchwork of scraps.

Don’t accept loss, or suffer regret; aim at
‘better’ – and you’re sure to get there -
beyond all the old wear and tear.

‍Janina Aza Karpinska achieved an M.A. in Creative Writing & Personal Development, with Merit, at Sussex University. Drawing on many influences and writing in a variety of styles, her work has featured in: Ekphrastic Review; London Reader; Poems in the Waiting Room; Drawn to the Light; Magma; Heron Tree; Cold Signal; Epistemic Lit; Midwest Zen; Lit Shark, and Raising the Fifth, among others. She lives on the south coast of England.