That poor old girl
She strips the buttons and bows from the discarded dresses
That poor old girl
She strips the zips
She strips the cuffs
That poor old girl
She strips the collar and hem
She strips the bodice and the skirt
That poor old girl
She strips the sleeves
She strips a nice yoke
That poor old girl
From the old dresses
She pieces a quilt
That poor old girl
Grows a big piece of cloth out of scraps
That poor old girl is braiding the selvage
That poor old girl coils and stitches the braids to make a hat or a basket
That poor old girl saves for tomorrow
That poor old girl saves for tomorrow, today
Extracted from upcoming collection of poems “Value to Man” by Afua Serwah Osei-Bonsu