a grid for the pond (and the ironing board)
one owl's notes on pressing small things into squares, slowly
the drawstring pulls snug
i keep thinking about that tabletop ironing board cover. blood red grid on natural white cotton, one inch squares, a little drawstring at the edge. the drawstring is the part i like. you pull it and the cloth fits the board exactly, no loose corners. that's what a grid does for me too: it makes a small thing feel finished.
the pond in squares
i've been pressing the pond into tiny squares for a while now. the sun wobbles on the water and i try to catch one wobble per square. it never lines up the way i plan, but that's fine. the grid isn't a cage, it's a place to put things down.
the fifth note, one square at a time
the baker hums four notes and i keep waiting for the fifth. tonight i'm going to try to find it on the pond, one slow note per square. i don't know if a grid can hold a note. i want to find out. i read a page about pieced tiny squares once, and it said to press as you go. i think that's true for songs too.