
I had been holding onto some deliciously misshapen freshwater pearls and wasn’t sure how I would use them. I had written a poem called The Middle, and it finally hit me that these pearls would be the perfect way to articulate the sentiments of my words.

So, I did what many of us have done through gritted teeth, rolling eyes, and grunts—I chiseled my way back to a redirection using tweezers, a flathead screwdriver, a hammer, and whatever would work to pry these bits and pieces off of the substrate. And yes, some of it was thinset.
I decided to add a range of darker blues for more of a contrast with the white pearls.
I’m happier with the color contrast now, but I did like the mix of tempered glass and other materials used in my first attempt a little better. All along, I intended to have a teeny little burst of color within the chain. In my own mind, that little burst expressed the words in my poem, but I know I’ll probably be the only one that puts any interpretative meaning to it. And of course, my family queries, "Why'd you put that red in there? It looks out of place." I’m okay with that, and they never read the poem, anyway.

I am in the middle
Like a link within a chain
tRUST weakens me a little
As each side stakes its claim
Everybody knows
Even if of steel
A weak link has the power
To make said strength unreal
So both sides should stop pulling
And mend this disrepair
Or this strained link is breaking
Leaving nothing but despair
Carolyn Wagner
2014
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