I have put off writing this post because I was not ready for the Summer Poetry Swap to end. Every year I feel I’ve received more than I’ve given, but this year the deluge of gifts from talented, thoughtful givers has made me feel like I’m sipping from a fire hose.
The real kicker is the last package I received, from Violet Nesdoly. I still can’t read the poem she sent without tearing up, and I’m not ready to share it yet. It was like she read my blog, saw my soul, and wrote a poem explaining me to myself so I can more clearly see the path ahead. I am sharing the “quote quilt” she drew for me because I managed to avoid dripping tears on it and smudging it. 
Her card reads, in part, “I also discovered that you like quilts and quotes. And so I have drawn for you a quote quilt that you can color or leave plain. (Some blocks didn’t turn out quite as I’d hoped — but that is the way with hand-made things, isn’t it?)” Yes, hand-made things are imperfectly perfect like their creators!
Look at the teeny snails in the border! And the squares are just the size of the tiny envelopes on which I’ve written my goals! So much serendipity in one place makes my head spin.
Thank you, Violet, for taking such time and care in creating this quilt!
The Poetry Friday round-up is at The Poem Farm, where we are celebrating Amy’s *incredible* new book, Read! Read! Read!
She shares her process for learning from mentor poems too!
Violet’s quote quilt is wonderful!!! Terrific idea, beautifully executed. How like her to be so thoughtful.
What a beautiful creative gift! I can’t wait to see the poem, too. Violet is such a thoughtful person.
The quote quilt is to die for! What a gift!
That quote quilt is amazing. You have quite a treasure. Thank you for sharing so we can enjoy it with you.
Gulp! what a surprise to come here and see this! So glad you like it. (I so appreciate all the kind words…)
We all need quote quilts, now. I was looking at all the beauty, working my way down wondering if it was done by hand… and then I spotted the liquid paper, and that made it so much more amazing and wonderful. That handmade mark of imperfect perfection. Beautiful!
What a wonderful quilt–the quotes, the borders are amazing!
What beautiful word gifts–Violet’s to you and yours in thanks to her. The Poetry Swap is clearly something that transcends its basic boundaries.
Violets quote quilt radiates beauty, what a wonderfully rich poetry swap to receive! I’d love to read the poem that accompanied it too! Thanks for sharing it Keri.
This.
Is an unbelievable gift of loveliness. A quote quilt. Just that phrase is a poem. You, Keri, inspire…. Thank you for letting us see. Happy Poetry Friday, friend. Peace x