Quilt

Our family

is a quilt

of odd remnants

patched together

in a strange 

pattern,

threads fraying,

fabric wearing thin—

but made to keep

its warmth

even in bitter

cold.

_{© 1996, 2019 Janet S. Wong from A Suitcase of Seaweed & MORE (YUZU/Pomelo Books)}

Bonus Poem!
The poem above is from Janet Wong’s book, A Suitcase of Seaweed & MORE. In the book, each poem has another poem or piece of writing that expands on it. Here is the second poem for “Quilt.” In it, Wong writes about the pieces of fabric that represent, or stand for, her family members. As you read, think about the details she includes. What do they tell you about each person?

PoPo:

The blue twill of my Winnie-the-Pooh jacket.

GongGong:

The canvas he learned to paint on when he was 88.

My Korean grandparents, Halmoni and Haraboji:

Stiff beige linen, the clothes of old-time farmers.

My father:

Wide-wale corduroy.

A life of ups and downs.

My mother:

An ivory-colored vinyl tablecloth, embossed with flowers.

A cigarette burn in it.

Me:

Boiled wool.

All of us, now and then:

Rough patches.

Swatches of smooth silk:

we can hope.