Rib Stitch

when you were
younger your mother

taught you how to knit rib

(knit two purl

two knit two

purl two)
and the first time you tried
it looked broken

but your mother fixed
it for you
told you
you’d get better

(and years later

when your ribs caved in

convening at your heart

all you could think
of was your broken rib

stitch
and all you wished
was that
it was so easy
to fix)