Conversations with the Cyclops: Needlework

Even this, simplest of womanly tasks,
eludes me: the union of button and shirt,
needle and thread. I can manage
an embroidery needle, wide-eyed, and thread stiff
with spit to ease it through the signatures
of a book-block, but not the finer work
of cotton. This is the kind of skill you need
in this climate; to survive
you need buttons that stick,
useful skills, a collection of sharp instruments
on a handy shelf
in case you are surprised at home
by a giant roaring through your keyhole
or a man, far from home,
cuffs trailing threads, and a pointed look
when he catches your eye.