Old Clothes Golem

by Francesca Forrest

Wrung out and wrung out again
Voiding dishwater, graywater, tears
Twisted, tied
A dishrag heart
knotted tight
shoved in an old shirt
Atop old denims
Cannery denims
Foundry denims
Tobacco field denims
Canvas apron tied in front
Scarf for the head
The rags that served will
Serve and serve again
Set to any task
The dishrag heart
Will twist more labor
From those empty sleeves
those threadbare legs -

The dishrag heart
Now knotted so tight
It can never come undone

---

Francesca Forrest's poetry can be found in Mythic Delirium, Aiofe's Kiss, Goblin Fruit, The Linnet's Wings, Scheherezade's Bequest, and Not One of Us, as well as in a limited-edition, handmade book, Chanteys for Fisherangels, from Papaveria Press. She believes in the saving power of cross-cultural wandering.

Photography: Lebow Clothing Building 6, by Logan Hicks.
From Logan's description: This is from the Lebow Clothing company building in Baltimore. The building has been empty for decades. I owned a warehouse across the street from this place for a few years, and always looked at this building and thought about breaking in and seeing what was in there.
Inside the building there are still thousands of coats, jackets, and suits.