the walnut shirt

a long time ago my son decided that this old linen shirt of mine should be his. and he wore it to school all the time. and then one day the school bully picked a fight and tore the pocket off the shirt in the process. my son was suspended from school because of the fight. the policy was that both parties be blamed. and so it goes. i dyed it with walnut. and patched the holes. funny how one patch seems to have taken the shape of a pocket... the ghost of a pocket past? 15 years later, dyed and mended. and once again on its way to being my favorite shirt. maybe after i dye it again. and a few more stitches.