(after Rumi’s ‘Of Being Woven’) 

None of us are rugs 
for others to stomp over 
or shake to rid of dust. 
Threads on the Loom, 
we are frazzled yarn. But
aren’t all people variations 
within the even & uneven 
weaving called Life?
We weave, we are woven. 
We stretch & we are
stretched thin. 
Can we choose our own fabric,
our own warp & weft,
our own colorful designs, 
assured they will 
remain unchanged?

Claire J. Baker is a dedicated poet and a self-appointed peace activist.