The Blanket

(By Sage Sweetwater ) The tightness of the lesbian relationship is measured by the woof and the warp threads woven into the blanket we share through life's journey, such a high standard for the lesbian code of honor. SHARING THE BLANKET comes from Book Three in my novel BLUE CORN WOMAN.

     Taken out of the closet and draped over her exceptional bare softness, a blanket symbolizes a lesbian's code of honor. Lesbians own at least one special "security" blanket they cherish, and immensely enjoy sharing the warmth with their lovers whether it be over morning coffee on the porch swing or evening reading in bed.

     Lesbians are fluent in blanket-speak. Our nipples spring out in excitement over the warm mention of Pendleton Woolen Mills, Canterbury, St. Croix, Biederlack, Dan River, and Cannon. We speak in terms of textile labels as fluently as wine lovers speak of the great wines.

     In Native American circles, the Hudson's Bay blanket with its distinctive stripes were exchanged for furs and copper, and many hundreds were dispersed during a potlatch. It was considered a major trade good, and the Hudson's Bay blanket became a high standard for measuring the worth of other goods, and was one of the colorful staples. When a lesbian gives her loved one a blanket as a gift for a birthday, anniversary, or some other special occasion, the blanket is a high standard for measuring the whole worth of their relationship.

     Blankets made on a backstrap loom outlast half a century of hard use. The same can be said of lesbian partnerships where two women share a tightly-woven blanket through life's journey. It is all about the woof and the warp. The woof threads are woven at right angles and the warp threads run lengthwise crossing the woof.

     The backstrap loom weaver wraps a strap around her back and ties it to the lower loom bar while the other end is anchored to the ceiling or a post. By leaning back and forth, she can adjust the tension of the loom, leaving her hands free to insert a wooden paddle to separate the strands, simply and playfully the way lesbians adjust the tension of their relationships. Enough said!