Chawbag, Cheesecloth and a Pig’s Ear

‘Porker’s hoopla and a ball of Scotland’s finest’ said the shamble leg man. ‘Puddle tarn and a sliver of overripe ewes’ cheese’. The harridan made a pig’s ear out of a purse, a chaw-bag out of burlap and a dress out of cheesecloth and old Scrabble tiles. She stitched together the pig’s ear with her mama’s bone-needle, tying-off the thread-end with a loop-to-loop. She used her great grandma’s tatting needle to baste together the chaw-bag, tucking the loose-ends underneath the outside flap and double-stitching the ratter to the lining.

‘When I look to the world everything is already there. Nothing is missing’ said the harridan. ‘Yes, but what is there is missing’ said the shamble leg man archly ‘its all a matter of seeing the there in what’s missing’. ‘I see’ said the harridan ‘the missing there in the there that is missing’. ‘Exactly’ said the shamble leg man. ‘I see puddle tarn and wobbly chicken legs’ said the harridan ‘and a gunboat without guns’. ‘And I’ said the shamble leg man ‘I see the missing guns and the gunboat there, over there’ he said pointing. ‘Exactly’ said the harridan. ‘I too see the missing guns, there’ she said pointing archly.