we spent years
knitting the same sweater
needles working intricately
to create a beautiful pattern
of colorful memories
shared history
companionship
and loyalty

sometimes distance 
would come calling to
put the needles down
and forget about it
for a bit
but when winter came
I would always remember
my favorite sweater
and put it on to warm my insides
if I noticed a loose thread
it was easy to tie a knot 
with a new piece of yarn
and weave it into the fabric
making it stronger

so what happened last year
when you saw 
the frayed piece of yarn 
protruding
and you pulled?
the sweater unraveled 
so quickly
our shared history 
disintegrating
as the patterned design
unraveled into a heap 
of chaotic threads
on the dusty floor

I picked it up
thinking I could mend it
but I cannot
I wonder now
whenever I knotted the torn fibers 
and restitched them
was it always just a superficial fix?
my sweater is ruined now
beyond repair
and I’m cold