Sewing as Prayer by Jude Lally

To sew is to pray. Men don’t understand this. They see the whole but they don’t see the stitches. They don’t see the speech of the creator in the work of the needle. We mend. We women turn things inside out and set things right. We salvage what we can of human garments and piece the rest into blankets. Sometimes our stitches stutter and slow. Only a woman’s eyes can tell. Other times, the tension in the stitches might be too tight because of tears, but only we know what emotion went into the making. Only women can hear the prayer.                                                           ― Louise Erdrich, Four Souls. 

One stitch, a prayer whispered into the dawn, under a waning moon and stars.

A stitch, a prayer for all those leaving this world today and moving onto the next world. May they be wrapped in soft owl wings. Carried them to be born into the otherworld. 

A stitch, a prayer to offer strength and resilience for those facing struggles.

A stitch, a prayer to all of those four-leggeds in the wild and those locked in intensive farming – a wish that you can feel this prayer.

A stitch, a prayer for everyone who votes and writes letters, who hold circle, ceremony, and ritual. Who work to fight all of the injustices of this world and yet can still laugh, smile and be there for others.

Each stitch a prayer to the ancestors – our blood and bone relatives, who hold and support us, for we are the future ancestors.

(Meet Mago Contributor) Jude Lally