By Cheryl Seely Savage
It was wrinkled
The dining room tablecloth was wrinkled
And my grandmother’s memory told me
To iron it before I lost my respect
And I didn’t
I left it wrinkled for her
For all women
For every person who has felt the pull of
Showing instead of being
I left it wrinkled
I put a vase of flowers in the center
Invited people to eat with me
To touch the wrinkled tablecloth and
Perhaps to wonder with joy
How it’s okay to display our
Wrinkled tablecloths
And still feast at the table
Cheryl Seely Savage is a professional musician, poet, and mother of eight. In addition to three published poetry collections, she was shortlisted for the 2022 Lascaux Prize in Poetry and has been published in “Exponent II” and “Manhattan Neighbors Magazine.” Her work was the inspiration for “A Million Ways,” a four-movement trio musical composition commissioned by the Égide Duo and composed by Dr. Alyssa Morris. Cheryl is a 2001 graduate of Brigham Young University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development while also minoring in Music. She is currently attending Kansas State University as a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in Music. Cheryl and her family live in the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas.