A Reflection on Knots
Elizabeth Anderson
How do I describe a knot?
I could put it simply and tell you
That it is just a fastening
A tie that holds pieces of things together,
And I would be done with it.
But a knot is so much more than that-
Take, for example, the knot of wire
Perched atop its nest
In a prickly metal fence that holds people in
The knot that can kill with a single touch,
Sending shivers of deadly electricity
Into the bruised skin of innocent children
Taken from their homes and families
For a simple characteristic-
The knot that sits alongside German officers
As they watch over a camp
Smelling of blood, and smoke, and starvation,
The one that keeps secrets and tells lies
That no one wants to approach
Fearing that they, too, may be victims
Of its dangerous scheme.
And if that is not enough to tell you what a knot is,
Look down at your shoes
Look at the laces on your sneakers
The knots that walk miles and miles with you
The kind and good ones that don’t complain
When they begin to fray
Who offer no protest when you throw them away
Even after all the time they’ve spent with you
The knots that keep your feet warm and secure
That hold you together when you walk in sticky sadness
That hide in the shadows while your face
Lies in the sun-
The ones that go willingly to death
Even while you live, almost in immortality
To them.
How do I describe a knot?
I describe it as a living being, filled with its own
Emotions and memories
And if you look close enough, you’ll be able
To see those emotions and memories, too.
I could put it simply and tell you
That it is just a fastening
A tie that holds pieces of things together,
And I would be done with it.
But a knot is so much more than that-
Take, for example, the knot of wire
Perched atop its nest
In a prickly metal fence that holds people in
The knot that can kill with a single touch,
Sending shivers of deadly electricity
Into the bruised skin of innocent children
Taken from their homes and families
For a simple characteristic-
The knot that sits alongside German officers
As they watch over a camp
Smelling of blood, and smoke, and starvation,
The one that keeps secrets and tells lies
That no one wants to approach
Fearing that they, too, may be victims
Of its dangerous scheme.
And if that is not enough to tell you what a knot is,
Look down at your shoes
Look at the laces on your sneakers
The knots that walk miles and miles with you
The kind and good ones that don’t complain
When they begin to fray
Who offer no protest when you throw them away
Even after all the time they’ve spent with you
The knots that keep your feet warm and secure
That hold you together when you walk in sticky sadness
That hide in the shadows while your face
Lies in the sun-
The ones that go willingly to death
Even while you live, almost in immortality
To them.
How do I describe a knot?
I describe it as a living being, filled with its own
Emotions and memories
And if you look close enough, you’ll be able
To see those emotions and memories, too.