Orange: I'm not quite certain if this journal quilt is totally finished but will try to squeeze it in yet for artwords whose theme for this week has been poetry. Though some of the words to "what a wonderful world" are on the quilt I was spending a lot of time thinking about the poem I wrote called "Orange" as I was making it.

The photos are of my Dad, my Mom and brother, and then my brother and me. Family is very important to me, for those of you not yet aware of that. Though I grew up with "Orange", I never would have been able to get to the place I am without the love and support of my wonderful family.

When I was a child

With diabetes,

I grew to hate

The colour orange.
The sugar in my body

Needed testing.
Orange

Meant sugar,

Too much Sugar.

And now -

I envision lines,

And lines,

And lines,

In the record book,

Lines of orange.

As a child with Diabetes

What

Went through my mind

About these lines of orange

In the Record Book?
They were always present.

I probably did not even recognize

Any interspersal of beautiful blue,

Or calming green.

Striving For perfection?

Who Me?

Striving to erase all those lines,

Of orange,

Which could never

Be erased.

Striving to erase the lines

Of imperfection

Which would be

Forever

Part of me.

Today -

I can truly appreciate

The colour orange.
Now I understand

It represents joy.

I work towards Joy.

I strive for it.

I strive

For more imperfection.

The striving

Is not easy.

Forever will live in me -

Those lines and lines

Of the colour orange.