The knot in my necklace is stubborn. I cannot
unravel the chain, even a safety pin will not

separate the links. The knot is like a clenched
fist or the tightness in my chest when angry

or anxious, a place I am in more often
these days. The necklace and a matching

heart are a gift from my sister. Her loyalty
has gone the distance. The knots in our lives

are sometimes beyond our comprehension.
They verge on disaster. We cannot tease them

apart despite our best efforts. We often turn
to God for deliverance. I work on the knot

in the necklace from time to time as I go
about my business. I pray for patience in

the face of struggles—small ones and those
that are bigger. Then one day the knot comes

undone. I dance with delight. When I wear
the necklace, I think of my sister who shows

her support on what we call Team Laurie.
I often wrap my hand around the heart. It

helps me to focus on what is important—
the things that transcend this moment.

 

The poetry of Laurie Didesch appears in The Comstock Review, The White Pelican Review, The MacGuffin, California Quarterly, Ibbetson Street, Rambunctious Review, and more. Her poems also appear in anthologies on Memory and Writing, among others. Her awards include being chosen to attend a juried workshop given by Marge Piercy.