These Are My JOTtings, Part #2

Ñandutí: The Shrouded Gift

Ñandutí, the shrouded gift,
remembering one, who's passed.
In Paraguay each heart to lift
with thoughts, that ever last.

Ñandutí, the lacy shroud,
remember royal heir,
who laid in death in wooded how,
who spiders attended there.

The Ñandutí in Guaraní
means "of the spider's web."
The shrouded gift was truly free
for princess life, that ebbed.

This was the story told to me
of spider's web, the Ñandutí,
but other stories do abound,
where spider webs are often found.

But other stories are as rich
in Paraguayan culture lore.
A young man's mother made a stitch
of Ñandutí he'd seen before.

He sought to win his darling's heart,
but spider webs are fragile, rare.
His mama did her loving part
by using her own silver hair.

She imitated ñandutí,
and gave this gift his heart to free,
but did he win his love's own heart?
We are not told this needful part.

by Jay O'Toole
on February 25th, 2021