Arpilleras
by Rachel Marsh
The arpilleras show the truth of lives,
which suffered through dictatorship and pain.
Each thread they sewed ensures their voice survives.
The women stitched the life they were deprived,
with fabric scraps and cloth from sacks of grain.
The arpilleras show the truth of lives.
The textiles spoke for those who weren’t alive,
with blazing colours calling out for change.
Each thread they sewed ensures their voice survives.
The women there were so much more than wives;
their strength and courage pulsed inside their veins.
The arpilleras show the truth of lives.
Still under this oppression, women thrived.
No threats would ever silence their campaigns.
Each thread they sewed ensures their voice survives.
In different times, new challenges arise,
to fight discrimination once again.
The arpilleras show the truth of lives.
Each thread they sewed ensures their voice survives.
Rachel Marsh is a writer living in Hastings. She studied at London Metropolitan University and her work includes children’s fiction and poetry. She has also worked at DLWP as a gallery assistant for many years and is passionate about the exhibitions and the artists who inspire her.