Household Chores
Household Chores
Only a pervert would love to iron,
so I do all mine when everyone’s asleep.
I unbutton my skin, which I’ve worn too long,
and lay it on the board. A lacy mist of spray starch
makes me look ten years younger.
After dinner, the dishes gleam like glaciers in the sink.
Whitewater cascades down the drain.
I sift fossils and fish through my fingers
and splash like a drowning man
until even my socks are drenched.
On Wednesday I take out the trash.
Fog is lifting from the street. When the trucks come,
a sweet and sour stench will be removed;
the remains of the last seven days will be removed.
The neighborhood will sigh, and begin again.
At least once a month there’s a good thorough cleaning.
Reaching into the uneasy darkness beneath the couch
for my cat’s toy, first the fingers
then the forearm, pushing aside the grit and dust,
belly to the floor I understand where I live.
© Copyright 2005, Glenn Pape
=====================================================
To see all poems that have been posted, click the "Poems" category in the left column.
To leave comments, please click the "Comments to the Editor" link at the top of the page.