Unnamed

After Amber Butchart

Half-watching TV. Something light
I thought—a sewing history show
re-enacting how they might
have fashioned this or that back in the day.

The presenter is chic—modern yet nostalgic.
Her sharp & shining bob wrapped up in velvet froth,
her vibrant eyes & lips aglow against her pale skin.
She is expertise and whimsy, forensic and fun.

At the foundling museum, white-gloved,
she carefully leafs through
the pages of a too-big book with scraps
of patterned cloth pinned in.

Alongside each, a date. Ingenious ID
for if the mothers ever came to claim
the babies they had left, bereft.
Oh how crafty ladies need to be, historically.

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Miriam Corris is a linguist who works in technology communication and enablement. She was born in Australia and now lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch with her family and a dog called Moss.