a glimpse: betty miller, born 1930.

the center at spring street in boyertown, which houses the area's senior center, is hosting a poetry reading for the labors of our fingertips: poems from manufacturing history in berks county on wedneday, march 23 @ 1 p.m. anyone age 55 or older is welcome to attend.

a few of the seniors whose stories take shape in the first volume of poetry from this project were invited and will hopefully be guests for the afternoon. one of those seniors is betty miller who lives in bally borough and was born in 1930. below is an excerpt of her poem and a scene of betty today.

*

but at boyertown hosiery mill on rhoads

avenue, i’d been an examiner, always peering
my pupils and irises into the silk stockings
which the workers knit. they did everything

there but dying all of those textiles. i did
mending when i needed to. i fixed the fabric
when it had pulls in it. i also worked at mistee

lingerie in boyertown, a few blocks away—
a seamstress for straps and sleeves of gowns,
nighties which women wore to sleep. things

that are now made mostly just by those
who live a sea away from all of us. when
my grandchildren knew october would

soon be around the corner, i designed
their halloween costumes—an astronaut,
cat in the hat. my home is full of pillows

i’ve made, quilts i sectioned together. i am
the strands, the fibers, the strings, pillow
stuffing, quilt squares, the love i give.

*