Friends and Embroidering

Friends

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

(first published in The St. Nicholas League when she was around eighteen, but more recently in The Essays of E.B. White, which is where I found this little piece waiting for me.)

I. He

I've sat here all the afternoon, watching her busy fingers send

That needle in and out. How soon, I wonder, will she reach the end?

Embroidery! I can't see how a girl of Molly's common sense

Can spend her time like that. Why, now--just look at that! I may be dense,

But, somehow, I don't see the fun in punching lots of holes down through

A piece of cloth; and, one by one, sewing them up. But Molly'll do

A dozen of them, right around

That shapeless bit of stuff she's found.

A dozen of them! Just like that!

And think it's sense she's working at.

But then, she's just a girl (although she's quite the best one of the lot)

And I'll just have to let her sew, whether it's foolishness or not.

II. She

He's sat here all the afternoon, talking about an awful game;

One boy will not be out till June, and then he may be always lame.

Foot-ball! I'm sure I can't see why a boy like Bob--so good and kind--

Wishes to see poor fellows lie hurt on the ground. I may be blind,

But somehow, I don't see the fun. Some one calls, "14-16-9";

You kick the ball, and then you run and try to reach a white chalkline.

And Bob would sit right there all day

And talk like that, and never say

A single word of sense; or so

It seems to me. I may not know.

But Bob's a faithful friend to me. So let him talk that game detested,

And I will smile and seem to be most wonderfully interested.

Seriously, who can't relate to this poem?! I love it!

As for the little images along the way, you guessed it! This is the progress I've made with my "projects" this summer. Hannah the Hedgehog is completely finished. April the Alligator's embroidery is complete, and all that remains is sewing the pieces together and stuffing it. Jane the Jellyfish only lacks her mouth now (I did the eyes after I took the picture.) so she's almost finished, too. All that's left is dear Bethany the Butterfly. And no worries. She will get done. I have a whole week-plus left! Soon, all of these animal pals will be hanging out on our apartment couch together.

And their namesakes will be too. That is what I am most excited about.